Love Game
by crimson.and.gold
Summary: "Don't fall in love with me." It was his one condition to help her with her problem. She thought it was an easy exchange. Little did Lily Potter know that having a deal with Scorpius Malfoy has its consequences… L/S
1. Deal

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. Heaven knows I want to, but I'm no JK Rowling.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1—Deal<strong>

"Adam!"

"Hey, Lily!"

She flung herself at her boyfriend, Adam McLaggen, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

"I missed you," she murmured in his ear when he pulled away. They have been dating for since April but they hadn't seen each other for the rest of the summer.

"Missed you, too," he said, smiling at her. There was something off about his smile, though. He was continually looking over her shoulder, as if scared of getting caught, and was fidgeting with the hem of his robe; he only does that when he's nervous.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, fixing him a look. "Merlin, you haven't been cheating on me during the summer, have you?" she accused too quickly that he was totally taken aback.

"Of course not, Lils! Why would you think of that?" he said, too hearty for Lily to believe him.

"You're not telling me something," she said, pulling away from him and putting her hands on her hips.

He sighed. "Okay, okay. You caught me…Well…it's just that I couldn't sit in your compartment today like I promised," he reasoned. "I'm sitting with the boys or they'll have to drag me in to their compartment whether I like it or not."

"Oh," she mumbled and gave him a smile, but there was still a tiny ray of suspicion inside her she couldn't quite put off. "It's fine. I'm going to the prefect's compartment, anyway, and catching up with the girls afterward."

He smiled in relief and kissed her full in the lips before pulling away, saying, "Good luck, Miss Prefect."

"Shut up. See you later."

"Bye."

They parted ways, Adam with a nervous glance back at his girlfriend and Lily with a nagging doubt and suspicion at the back of her head.

* * *

><p>Entering the prefect's compartment, Lily noted that it was almost full. Therefore, she sat on one of the few spaces available—the one between Scorpius Malfoy and the glass edge of the compartment. It was far better than sitting beside an obnoxious Therese Pritchard, a sixth year Slytherin whom she greatly despised and had hexed last year. She glared at her the moment she arrived.<p>

"So, hello everyone," Lily's cousin Rose, the head girl this year, began. "I know some of you might be tired of hearing this tedious speech, yet again, but please pay attention. Now, fifth years, this job is going to take quite some time before getting used to. You're going to have to patrol the corridors with a partner once every two weeks. Your partner will be _fixed_, so you'll be patrolling the castle with the same person for the entire year, except in those special circumstances where your partner couldn't come due to injuries or same reasons. Any questions so far?"

"Shouldn't we be patrolling with someone in our own House?" asked Claudine Selwyn in a moaning voice. She was a Slytherin in Lily's year. She was—there was no other word for it—the _bane_ of her existence.

"No," Rose said in a far more superior voice. "You'll patrol with whoever was chosen for you."

"How will you choose, then?" I asked curiously.

"It's pretty simple," said Liam Priestly, the head boy and Rose's boyfriend. "Rose and I will just send sparks on different parchments with your names on it—mine with the boys, Rose with the girls—and whoever lands sparks at the same time will be partners."

"That's ridiculously _ridiculous_," Selwyn sneered. "Imagine wasting your time sending sparks on sheets of parchments when they could actually ask us who we _want_ to patrol with."

"Well, if there's any bloke here who wants to patrol with you," Lily said loudly, "raise your _knickers_ now, she'll choose who has the best underpants—probably one with pictures of unicorns on them. Although I doubt there's a person in this carriage who wants to spend a night every two weeks with a pig."

Everyone laughed, except Selwyn, who was flushed in anger and was glaring furiously at Lily. She smirked in response.

Lily noticed someone chuckling beside her and looked at Scorpius Malfoy. Strange. She never did look clearly at him before. She never actually saw him much except during Quidditch matches, where they both play Seeker. He has attracted loads of females' eyes around school, alright. Now, Lily knew why. His features were not only attractive, but the light in his gray eyes brought it all.

"Okay, everyone _stop_!" Liam commanded, although he still couldn't stop grinning himself "Everyone stop before this gets out of hand."

"If you don't tell Potter to shu—"

"I happened to say nothing at all," Al cut in, grinning mockingly at Selwyn, and I snorted. "Not until now, though."

"I'm referring to your sister, you twat!"

"That's enough, everyone!" Rose bellowed. "We'll get to the prefect-_related_ topics, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Distracted as she was a bit by the prefect meeting, the earlier funny reactions of Adam came crashing back to Lily's mind once the meeting was off. She immediately told her best friends about it once she reached their compartment.<p>

"Tell me again," Lily's best friend, Mikayla Palmer said after she'd finished. She was playing with the strands of her long, blond hair, fixing her a look with her midnight-blue eyes.

"I told you I feel like he's keeping something from me," Lily repeated. "Do you think he's…_what_? A gay? A dancer in a Muggle pub? A what? Or he might have been meeting another woman over the summer, for all I know…"

"Stop babbling, Lily," her other best friend, Beth Rosewood, said. Her brown eyes were trailing outside the window, her dark hair blowing round her face. "Maybe you're just imagining things."

Lily sighed. "Yeah…I hope so. Anyway, I'm supposed to be _patrolling_ right now. See you girls, later."

She walked out and began walking the corridors of the train on her own, looking inside every compartment to make sure nobody was making anything 'beyond' the rules. Honestly, she didn't know how come she was chosen as a prefect, despite being really pleased about it. When she read the letter, she thought it might be sent to the wrong person, but it was definitely her name written on it. She wasn't exactly a rule-patronizing or abiding person; on the contrary, she didn't mind breaking a couple of rules in the past, just like every one of the Potters and Weasleys.

Preoccupied as she was with her thoughts, she didn't notice a person walking on her way and accidentally bumped his head on his hard chest.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, putting a hand on her forehead. "Sorry, I wasn't looking my way, I'm—"

But she stopped dead when she saw who she bumped on. Blond hair, smooth, alabaster skin, straight nose, pinkish lips and handsome gray eyes, there he was—Scorpius Malfoy.

"Er, sorry," she said awkwardly. It was true, their parents were old enemies, but she, her brothers and her cousins didn't exactly hate him. It was hard to hate someone who mostly keeps to himself and a couple of Slytherin buddies and Quidditch mates. "I wasn't…_looking._"

"It's alright," he said, shrugging. "I wasn't looking my way, either."

"Right," she muttered, surprised that a Slytherin could be quite pleasant. "Well then, see you around, Malfoy."

She didn't take more than three steps when he called, "Potter, wait! I forgot something!"

Turning around, she saw that he was already beside him.

"Yes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your cousin asked me to give this to you," he said, holding out a small roll of parchment.

Lily took it and muttered, "Thanks." Upon noticing that he didn't move or walk away, she added, "Am I supposed to open it now?"

He nodded. "Yeah, better now than later. You might be…er, shocked."

Raising a questioning eyebrow at him, she unrolled it and read on Rose's neat, cursive writing"

_Lily,_

_You're due to be partnered with Scorpius Malfoy for rounds inside the castle. Don't ask me why him because it was entirely random and Liam and I are just being fair. I think he's harmless, anyway. He's a prefect after all. The schedules will be posted on the common room notice board later. Don't moan or I'll be tempted to put you in detention._

_Rose _

Lily looked up at him and said, "Well, I guess we're partners, then.

He frowned.

"You're not moaning about getting a Slytherin for a _partner_?" he asked in disbelief.

"Why would I moan about something like that?" she said.

"Because I'm—I'm a—"

"I've got nothing against you, Malfoy," she interrupted. "'Course I don't like a couple of Slytherins, but you've never exactly did a harm on me, have you? And I don't really give a damn that our dads hated each other, to be honest. That was ages ago. And besides," she added, grinning, "I don't want Rosie to put me in detention so it's either you cooperate with me on duties or _sod off_."

She said it in a teasing way that he stared at her for a moment. Finally, he smiled.

"I guess we'll have _peaceful_ patrols at school, then," he said. "For a Gryffindor and Slytherin, that is."

Lily smiled back. "See you around, then."

* * *

><p>"Merlin, I never knew the train was <em>that<em> long!" Lily exclaimed as she went back to their compartment half an hour later. Sitting beside Mikayla, she took a Chocolate Frog from the box beside Beth and bit its head off in earnest.

"Glad I wasn't prefect," Beth said, grinning at her.

"It has its perks, you know," Lily retorted.

"Like what?"

"Like having access to the Prefect's bathroom," she answered, smirking. "And oh, our curfew is in eleven."

"That's unfair!" both girls exclaimed.

Lily rolled her eyes at them. "It's not like you're always wandering around the castle, you two," she pointed out. "Except if you're sneaking out with a bloke," she added, smiling slyly.

"Shut up," Beth said.

"Mmm…might be your idea of sneaking out, Beth," Lily said teasingly. "Prefect's bathroom with a bloke and a pack of soaps and bubbles. Lovely."

Beth blushed furiously and Lily frowned. Beth was always a good actor that she could easily hide feelings and a _bloody red blush_.

"Anyway," Mikayla interrupted, not catching Lily's eye, "I heard Albus got the Captain's badge."

She might've said it casually, but Lily wasn't fooled. She knew since third year that her best friend had a crush on his brother, but wouldn't push it. How awkward would it be if you see your brother snogging one of your mates?

"Yep," she answered. "He kept babbling about it all summer."

"That's two of your brothers now," Beth said. "I bet you'll get that badge next year."

She shrugged. "I hope so. At least I've already got one badge, though."

"Who's the other Gryffindor prefect, anyway?" Beth asked.

"Timothy Fields," Lily answered, smirking at her, "the guy you had a crush on since what? _First year_."

Lily and Mikayla giggled as Beth crossed her arms and scowled at them. This was more like the Beth they knew, rather than the 'blushing' one.

"Shut up."

"Oh, but it's true," Mikayla said. "Until you found out he had a crush on your _Lily_."

"You don't need to rub it off on me that Timothy doesn't have good taste," she snapped. "And I don't like him now, anyway."

Lily scowled at her. "So you're saying I'm not likable, huh?" she said dryly. "Who do you like now, then?" she asked and saw that Beth had suddenly gone uncomfortable.

"Nobody," she answered, but the look on her face said otherwise. "I'll just go to the bathroom," she said and walked hastily outside.

"She's keeping something from us," Mikayla stated.

Lily nodded. "I know…she's _secretly_ meeting with a bloke. I wonder if they're meeting in a bathroom."

"That would explain the blush," Mikayla mused shrewdly.

* * *

><p>"You're early," Scorpius said when Lily arrived. It was the second Friday of term and they were meeting up in the entrance hall for their first turn on rounds.<p>

"You're"—Lily look him up and down and smiled—"_earlier_." She went to stand in front of him and fixed him a look.

He shrugged. "I'm always early."

"How long have I kept you waiting, exactly?" Lily asked as they started to walk.

"Only about a minute or so," he answered with amusement in his voice. "I usually have to wait for at least ten minutes last year for my partner prefect to show up."

"Who was it?" she asked curiously.

"Venice Thorez, Hufflepuff," he answered. "Good thing she's already graduated. It would be a nice change to patrol with someone more…_punctual_."

She laughed lightly, saying, "Thank you!"

"So," he said, changing the subject, "I heard your brother's the new Captain of your team."

"He is," Lily replied. "And I heard that you are Captain on yours."

"True."

She stifled a smile and said, "Well, I'd still be the one holding the Snitch on the first match."

"We'll see," he said evenly.

"Do I need to watch my back this time?" she said lightly. "You _do_ seem serious of beating me this time."

"You should know how frustrating it was to keep losing over a—"

"A Gryffindor?" she cut in, not harshly.

"No," he answered and she looked at him, surprised.

"You don't want keep losing over a _Potter_, then?" she asked this time.

"No," he answered again and she could see that he was smirking.

She frowned. "What then?"

"Because you're a _witch_," he said simply, shaking his head.

"Oh," she mumbled. "So It hurts you're ego as a _bloke_, then?"

"Before," he answered. "But not much, now. I should be concentrating on N.E.W.T.s this year, anyway, if I don't want to screw up my future career."

That got her curious, and Lily Potter loves _being_ curious.

"What career are you pursuing?" He seemed hesitant to answer so she added, "You don't need to answer that. You must be thinking I'm nosy."

He smiled. "Not at all," he reassured. "And to answer your question, what I'd like to do is to work in the Magical Law Department in the Ministry, actually."

That brought a spark in her eyes. "Oh, my Aunt Hermione's head there. You must have a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s to get a ministry job, she told me. It's quite fascinating in there, you know. When I've been to my aunt's office, her job seemed to be like the Muggle lawyers, although you might not know what lawyers are, I think you weren't raised to know about Muggles but—"

She stopped when she heard him chuckle.

"I look like an overenthusiastic five year old, don't I?" Lily muttered

Scorpius shook his head. "Nope. I think you're a fascinating, little babbling machine, to be honest."

Lily laughed. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I'm always like this. Can't help it…"

"It's fine, actually," he said, grinning slightly at her and Lily noticed again that he looked ridiculously handsome. "It makes the rounds less boring."

She shook her head away from inappropriate thoughts about Scorpius Malfoy and said casually, "I take that as a compliment. You're not that boring for company, either. And I take it, you're usually quiet when doing _this_ tedious prefect job, am I right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I never really got to talk much during the past two years with my so-called partners."

Lily laughed, feeling more at ease now around him. "They probably aren't as talkative as I am, are they?"

"Not in the slightest," he answered. "Even when I had to patrol with my ex-girlfriend once, I couldn't get her to talk about Quidditch or future careers. She only seems to want to talk about herself, to be honest."

"What's her name?" Lily asked, her curiosity perking up again.

"Therese Pritchard," he answered, shrugging. "I think you pretty much know who she is."

"Oh, I do know that her, that _slag_," Lily said, snorting. "You might've known. I think you still might be seeing her that time when I hexed her for not shutting up about Mikayla."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. You sent a Bat-Bogey Hex at her, right? That was quite impressive. She broke up with me after that for not siding with her."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Really, why?"

"Well, I told her off for having a go at Muggle-borns, since she's merely a half-blood herself."

Lily's eyes widened. "You told that? But I thought—"

"Surprising, isn't it," he said, "how some people find it amusing that some Slytherins don't give a damn about blood status and other rubbish."

"It _is_ surprising," Lily said, not in the least bit perturbed at the slight edge in his voice. "And you don't need to snap at me like that, I'm just in shock," she added lightly.

"Er, sorry 'bout tha—"

"What would you do if you hear me calling my best friend a Mudblood?"

He stopped walking. "You said tha—"

"See," she interrupted. "You'd react like that if I ever did something un-Gryffindor-ish, or un-Potter-ish, or…_whatever_."

"But you still _used_ that—"

"Figuratively," she cut in. "And don't be silly, I was just setting an example. _Merely_ saying something is entirely different from saying something you _mean_. It's just like the difference between reading but not understanding, and reading with comprehension. D'you know what I mean?"

Scorpius looked at her with surprise in his face. "Do you have different personalities?" he asked her.

"Er, why are you asking?"

"Because," he said, actually smiling, "a moment ago, you were babbling about random things like a first year, and now you were saying a really…_witty_ analogy. Or clever, rather…"

She smiled at the compliment but stopped when she heard something. They were now in the third floor corridor without even her realizing.

"Can you hear that?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes," he said. "In there." He pointed at a broom cupboard partly obscured by a tapestry of an old, ugly warlock.

Scorpius walked silently towards the cupboard and Lily followed him, both of their wands drawn. Then, as one, they wrenched open the door handle and saw two people inside.

Lily almost cried in shock.

There, inside, was Adam, his pajama buttons half undone, and snuggling close to him with _all_ of her buttons undone, was—

"Beth," Lily said in a low voice. She couldn't believe it. Her best friend, of all people, would betray her like this? "Please don't tell me this isn't what it looks like."

But the way she wouldn't look her in the eye said it all. She hid herself behind her curtain of curly brown hair as she threw her pajama on again. Adam wasn't saying anything and was looking as though he'd rather be somewhere else at the moment.

Scorpius looked at Lily and found that she was on tears. From what he had known through the years, she was a tough person. From the look in her eyes, it was her best friend that was hurting her the most.

"How could you do this to me? I should've known you were such a fucking _bitch_!" she said vehemently, wiping her eyes furiously.

With a movement so fast none of them had time to react, Lily brandished her wand at the two of them. In an instant, Adam and Beth were glued to each other by the side of their waists.

"That'll show the people how a _slag_ you are!" she spat at Beth, whose blue eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"Take this off, Lily!" Adam said furiously as he stumbled outside the cupboard with Beth beside her.

"Don't 'Lily' me, _McLaggen_!" she snapped and the look on her eyes stopped him. There was a fire in her hazel eyes that he's never seen before. Red sparks were flying out of her wand as she glared at him—a glare akin to a basilisk's. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor for _disgusting display of_ _indecency_!"

Beth was sobbing continuously but Lily wasn't sympathetic.

"Now, LEAVE!"

Without watching them, Lily marched off into the opposite direction and wiped the last streaks of tears from her face. Panting, she fell on the floor and propped her back on the wall, trying with all her might to blink the tears away, but they wouldn't. Instead, they continued to flow as freely as the rain outside. Tired of fighting them, she closed her eyes and put her head between her knees, hoping the feel of anger would abate.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Scorpius sitting beside him, looking straight on the opposite wall.

"You couldn't stay here," he said. "Filch will catch us. We're supposed to be back in our common rooms in ten minutes."

"I couldn't go back yet," she said in a surprisingly straight voice.

"Who says we're going back?" he said, looking at her this time. "There's a place where he'll least expect us. C'mon, I won't let you here on your own. Let's go to a more comfortable place sit in." He stood up and offered his hand to her. Smiling slightly, she took it and let her pull him up. She gave an involuntary shiver as their hands touch.

"Are you cold?" he asked. "It's been raining all week, why didn't you bring a cloak?"

Without protesting, Lily let him put his own cloak around her and felt a warm feeling around her body. It just wasn't because of the additional layer to her clothing; it was the mere fact that Scorpius, who was almost a stranger to her, was comforting her and didn't leave her side when she was in this state, regardless of the fact that they were prefects.

What surprised her was, after putting his cloak around her, he took her hand, gave it a squeeze, and didn't let it go.

"C'mon, let's go," he said and led her downstairs. She kept shooting him furtive glances, noticing that he even look more attractive when he was being caring. His face was slightly etched with worry that he couldn't quite hide and his eyes were determined and on fire.

"Where are we going?" she asked when they reached the front of the Great Hall.

"This way," he said, leading her to a door beside the hall, and downstairs.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"You're taking me down to the kitchens, aren't you?"

He smiled at her, relieved that he had successfully distracted her from the earlier happenings.

"I guess you've _bumped_ there once, haven't you?" he asked.

"Well, it's not really a secret in our family where it is," she said. "And I've probably been to every inch of Hogwarts, to be honest."

He raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

"It's a family secret," she said and he was glad to see her smiling again. They reached the entrance to their destination. Scorpius tickled the pear, opening the door, and they entered. They sat beside each other at the farthest table to the left and Scorpius let go of Lily's hand. It suddenly felt a few degrees colder without his.

Scorpius asked a house-elf for some hot-chocolates before turning back to Lily.

"I guess you don't want to go back after a couple of hours?" he asked hesitantly. Asking it meant reminding her what happened, but it's better to deal with it now than later.

She nodded but didn't cry anymore. "Yeah, I guess so…"

"She's your best friend, right?" he asked. "I always see you with her and that Mikayla girl."

"I don't think she's my best friend _anymore_, to be honest," Lily replied, rubbing the side of her forehead. "I never felt so…_betrayed_…and _angry_." She sighed and looked up at him. "You don't have to listen to me mourning over the lost of a best friend. I know blokes feel uncomfortable listening to too much emotional rants from women."

"I don't mind," he reassured just as the same house-elf came, handing them two cups of hot chocolate.

"Thanks," Lily muttered and took a grateful sip. The house-elf bowed and scrambled away. "Why did you ask for hot-chocolate?"

"Well, women usually like their chocolate when they're love depressed," he said, smirking slightly.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I heard you are such a womanizer."

"You heard the 'rumors' then," he said. "I've only dated five girls in my entire life and each lasted not less than five months."

Lily stared at him in disbelief. "Really? I never thought you were a serious bloke."

"I'm not, actually," he said, shrugging. "But I'm a bloke. I just like a good snog."

Lily spluttered on her hot-chocolate and splattered some on his cloak.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stain it! I'll just—"

"Relax, Potter," Scorpius said, chuckling. He grabbed his wand from his pocket and cleaned the stain easily.

Lily sighed in relief. "For a moment, I forgot I'm a witch."

"That would be the effects of seeing your boyfriend snogging your best friend," he said without thinking and waited anxiously for her reaction.

"Yeah, I guess," she mumbled. "Although, I wouldn't be upset, actually, if it was another woman Adam was snogging. The hell I care! I don't give a damn about the breakup! I'm only mad because of all people, WHY BETH? I sodding hate the both of them!"

With the intention of hiding the angry tears, she downed the rest of her hot chocolate, obscuring her face from his view. Wiping her cheeks discreetly, she finally looked up at him.

"Would you tell the teachers if I downed some Firewhisky right now?" Lily asked him.

"I wouldn't," he answered, "but there aren't any Firewhisky in the Hogwarts kitchens. I tried to ask for one last year."

"Damn it," Lily muttered. "I could risk sneaking outside the castle…"

"Potter, it's eleven," Scorpius said. "The pubs are bound to be closed in an hour and you're not exactly hard to notice since you've got red hair and everyone knows you since you're the only daughter of the Potters. Besides, you're fifteen so you're not allowed to drink Firewhisky yet."

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'll just get caught, alright," she said irritably.

"On the one hand," he said in a suggestive voice and Lily looked up to see him smiling, "I've got a couple of bottles inside my trunk for 'emergency' purpose. We could down them together tomorrow. It's Saturday so it won't be a problem, except if you're a 'homework' driven type of person...?"

She snorted. "Nope. I'm a sucker-girlfriend-betrayed-by her-best-friend type of person at the moment."

"Are you sure Firewhisky will alleviate all this angst your feeling at the moment?" he asked.

"For one whole day, probably," she answered. "But forever, no. On second thoughts, I don't want to down your Firewhisky anymore. It'll just make me seem like I give a damn about them. I might want to have to do something more than hex Adam and Beth's arses off."

"Mmm…I could help you with that," Scorpius said and he looked up at him, interested despite her heart being heavier than usual.

"What is it?" she asked but when he didn't continue, she added, "Please. Tell me."

He sighed. "First of all, I maybe not as Slytherin-ish as you think, but I _am _a Slytherin," he said. "So in short, you may not like this idea."

"If you're willing enough to help me," she insisted, "I don't suppose it would hurt to try what you're saying. Try me."

"Okay, here it is," he said and smirked. "Play his game. Go out and snog someone else, preferably his best friend or someone that'll pretty irk him as much. Find yourself a new boyfriend, in short. Make him jealous."

Lily stared wordlessly at him.

He sighed. "See. I told you, you may not like it."

"Who says I don't?" she said suddenly. "So, are you going to help me?"

"Me?"

"Yes, _you_," she said. "I'm not going to do with using someone."

"So what am I, a duck?" he said.

"Nope," Lily said, sighing. "It's just that, well…if you 'help' me, then I'm not 'using' you, am I? And you're the one who suggested it."

"What d'you think your family will do to me if they see me with you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, they don't give a damn with who I'm with. Have you ever seen them angry at you because you're a Malfoy or Slytherin?"

"What if…" he trailed off but didn't continue.

"What if what?"

"Nothing."

She stared at him. "Spit it out."

"What if things get _serious_?"

Lily snorted. "Not gonna happen, Malfoy." But if she was honest to herself, he might be right. "I'm not like the rest of the females in the school who fawns over you."

"Who says they are?" he asked, amused.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're not going to help me—"

"Okay, shut up," he interrupted and sighed. "Fine, I'm going to help you."

Lily smiled at him. "Thanks!"

"What do I get in return, though?" he asked teasingly.

"Mmm…how about a friendship with none other than _me_," Lily said and they both laughed.

"That's quite a reasonable price then," he said.

She smiled. "Of course it is. You could replace Beth as my other best friend, for all I care."

He frowned. "You know, maybe you're just angry at her right now, but you'll come around, soon. You couldn't ruin four years of friendship for a git. I'm only helping you get your revenge on that prat but don't be a martyr and hurt yourself by hurting your best friend."

"It's not as easy as it seems to be," she said stubbornly, reverting back to her earlier hollow tone.

He sighed. "I don't know what I'm getting myself into," he muttered.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You don't have to do anything. Just...just…"

"I'm still helping you," he said smoothly. "You're sort of my _would_-_be_ friend now, after all."

She gave him a small smile. "I never thought you of all people would pretend to be my boyfriend to help me revenge on my ex."

"There are some benefits," he said slyly.

"Like what?"

"Like having a free snog to a girl without the need to feel committed, that is," he said teasingly.

That wasn't the right thing to say, though, because Lily instantly flared up.

"If you think I'm that kind of woman who will—"

"Relax, Potter," he said and he actually had the nerve to laugh. "I was joking."

"Oh," she mumbled, embarrassed at her outburst. "Sorry 'bout that. I couldn't take jokes when I'm at this state."

He smiled at her. "It's alright. I could be a bit tactless at times, sorry."

"So, I'll repeat this for the last time but," she sighed, "are you _really_ sure you want to do this?"

He nodded.

"I've got one condition, though," he said.

"Shoot."

"Don't fall in love with me."

"Not gonna happen," she said. "It's a deal, then."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_ **_And that's the first chapter!_

_Tell me what you think!_

_Thanks for reading!_

**_R—E—V—I—E—W—! … _**_That sort of helps…_

**_.gold-_**


	2. Simple Gestures

_Thanks to these awesome people—**SiriuslyHopeless15**, **Rusichan**, **PandaOren95**, -**SnowflakeBeautiful**-, **Sweetshortkakes**, **hushpuppy22**, **Heart** **of** **the** **Phoenix**, **Bucky5**, **MedzR3**, **pielover28** and **KJ—**for reviewing the previous chapter._

_Read on! =)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2—Simple Gestures<strong>

The next morning, Lily found herself early in the Great Hall. In all honesty, she barely remembered catching Adam and Beth snogging inside a broom cupboard. Instead, what she clearly remembered was having a conversation with Scorpius Malfoy, and more to that, an _agreement_ with him.

But still, that morning, she couldn't stop thinking about getting back at 'those two arses', as she referred them in her head, especially when she finally saw them again.

She was sulky instead of weepy at breakfast, and a sulky Lily was not what you wanted to get near to.

"Oh, so you've unstuck your arses, then," Lily commented harshly as she saw Adam and Beth walking pass the Gryffindor table at breakfast, hand in hand. "A pity no one was able to see it glued. I could always do it for you again, though, if you'd like to be stuck together _forever_."

Beth dared glancing at Lily but flinched at the intensity of her glare. Mikayla stared incredulously at Lily and Beth back and forth, wondering what's happening

"What's going on?" she asked her, gesturing at the place where Adam and Beth had just taken seats.

"Don't ask me," Lily snapped. "I've just known it last night. For all I know, they've been snogging each others' mouths off—or probably shagging over the summer…"

"That's too harsh, Lils, you should…Oh my—you've caught them…oh my Godric!" Mikayla gasped. "He cheated on you? With _Beth_? Our best friend?"

"What 'best friend' are you talking about?" Lily drawled, yawning. "Talk about rubbish. Do you think I'd still be friends with that bitch after that?"

But those were just words. The lost of Beth still affected Lily too much. The feeling of betrayal and hatred she felt all night overcame her and all she could think of was getting her sweet revenge, mostly on Adam. She still couldn't believe that, after last night's events, the two would still be together, avoiding her scrupulously, but still _together_…if only they've told her before this happened, then she wouldn't feel so betrayed. All she could think of last night was that her best friend lied to her and broke her trust and she could never, ever, forgive her.

"That's too harsh, Lils," Mikayla said. "I think you should give her the right to explain things."

"Explain what?" she snapped. "I don't need explaining! I've seen them with my own eyes last night—they were doing the most _repulsive_ thing I could ever think off! You could talk to her but don't you dare force me talking to her ever, _ever_ again!"

"You're just mad, Lils," Mikayla said in a soothing voice but that didn't soothe Lily at all. "It'll pass and then you'll realize that it isn't worth losing Beth. We're best friends, for heaven's sake! You should just forgive and forget."

Lily sighed. "What would you do if you caught Beth snogging Al inside a broom cupboard? How would you feel?" she asked in a quiet voice, looking her best friend straight in the eye.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "How did you—I don't know—that's not related, whatsoever!" she said in a voice that said it all.

"You're in denial," Lily said. "You've fancied my brother since third year."

"H-How did you know?" Mikayla asked in a small voice.

"You're my best friend, Kaye. He's my brother. Of course, I know," she answered soothingly. "So how would you feel when you see Beth kissing my brother, then?" she asked again.

"Er—I don't have any right to feel anything, though," she muttered. "She's still _our_ best friend, Lils."

Lily sighed. "Don't force me into this, yet, _Mikayla_," she said. "If you did, I might just stick up your rear end with them the next time I lose my temper."

"Alright, alright," she said. "Do you need me to insult Adam for your comfort? How about if I say that Adam is such an ugly, twisted, old troll he should be thrown into the Muggle world? Not that it was awful there since I'm Muggle-born and everything, but he's not going to like it that much."

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Kaye," she said. "And I don't need to hear comforting or piteous words. You know me. Although saying that Adam is such an ugly, twisted, old troll is quite…rejuvenating."

"I'm glad I amuse you."

Lily stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"Refreshing," Lily answered. "I'm kind of craving for some fresh air. Besides, it's not raining outside today."

"Do you want me to accompany you?" she offered.

"Nope," Lily replied. "You barely ate breakfast. Honestly, I'll be fine."

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you'd be crying your eyes out in a random dark corner or something similar."

Lily smiled at her friend. "Oh, I've done my fair share of crying last night," she said. "You should be glad you haven't witnessed it. Anyway, I'm off now."

"See you later," Mikayla said. "And don't kill yourself!"

Lily merely laughed and stormed out of the Great Hall. She walked straight to the entrance hall and outside the oak front doors where she was greeted with the cool air and breeze or the wind and the welcoming light of the sun.

She headed straight to the Quidditch pitch and up the stands. She had always found this place a good place to think whenever no one was around. Looking around, she saw that no one else was there, or so she thought. She didn't know that a certain blond-haired boy had been following her. It wasn't until after two whole minutes that she noticed him, sighing loudly behind her.

Turning around, she jumped at the sight of him and almost fell over the stands if his hand hadn't caught her wrist just in time.

"Thanks," she muttered. "What're you doing here, though? You startled me."

"I saw you exiting the Great Hall and I thought I should follow you," he said, shrugging. She sat again and he took the seat beside her this time.

"When are we going to get started with this 'fake dating'?" Lily asked absentmindedly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shrug.

"Depends on when you wanted to…or when you're ready…or _if_ you could still do it…"

"I do," she insisted. "How about now?"

He snorted. "Relax. You're pretty determined to get back at them, aren't you? That's very Slytherin of you."

She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, everyone has rights to get back on people who cheated on them, not just Slytherins," she stated.

"But you being a Gryffindor and a _Potter_ makes a difference," he said. "Why couldn't you just forgive your best friend and stop being so determined to make your ex-boyfriend jealous?"

"Do you honestly think that I _like_ the fact that Beth and I are no longer friends?" she snapped.

"No, of course not," he said. "But don't you think that by trying to get back to McLaggen, you'll also hurt your friend? I mean, it's none of my business, but aren't Gryffindors supposed to be _chivalrous_ and _friendly_ and _loyal_ and _noble_ and—"

"Okay, you know what," she cut in, "shut up."

It wasn't what he expected, but when he looked at her, she was giggling.

"What's funny?" he asked curiously.

"You!" she burst out, laughing openly now. "You're a Slytherin so you're supposed to hate Gryffindors, right? And you're a Malfoy and I couldn't see an ounce of hate radiating from you when you're with me!"

"I don't really ca—"

"Shut up," she cut in again and he scowled at her, although there wasn't anything harsh in his look.

"Stop interrupting me!"

"Well, then stop saying ridiculous things," she retaliated, stifling a grin. "Don't you think it's about time we stop all this House-hate rubbish? It's not only Hufflepuffs that are hard-working or Ravenclaws that are smart. It's not only Gryffindors that are brave and it's not only Slytherins that are _cunning_! Look at me? I'm a bit of those four, except I'm not exactly _that_ hard-working on school stuff…"

"You are _cunning_," he agreed, grinning. "But let's shut up about Houses now. What about your plan?"

"How about if we call it _our_ plan, seeing as you're in on the plan," Lily interjected.

"Alright then, _our_ plan," Scorpius said, smirking. "So, what about it?"

"When are we going to start it? Now? Tomorrow?" she asked.

"Well, it's gonna be obvious, what you're doing, if you move on a bloke too fast," he said. "Let's wait for a week or so before we do something." As he said this, he leaned on the back of his seat with his head on his hands. She watched in fascination at how he made himself look attractive and handsome effortlessly.

"Mmm…you do seem to know what you're doing."

"Yep," he said, smirking. "It's supposed to be the Slytherin _expertise_, after all."

Lily slapped him in the arm, laughing hard. "You're getting cheekier—and to think that I just had my first full, proper conversation with you _less than_ twenty four hours ago!"

He laughed. "Well, it's your fault, isn't it?" he said. "You've asked to be friends with me, and to do you a favor only I can do—you've got to suffer the consequences."

"Oh, shut up!"

She was still laughing hard that she didn't notice a blonde girl lower down the stands, looking up at her and Scorpius with incredulous, blue eyes. He noticed the girl, though.

"Stop laughing, Potter," Scorpius hissed at her. "Your friend's coming."

"What?" she said. Looking down the stands, she groaned. "Oh damn it, she saw us!"

"A moment ago, you were so keen on being seen with me already," he said teasingly, smirking, just as Mikayla reached them.

"Hey Lily," she said awkwardly. "I was looking for you and…can we talk?"

"Uh, we're talking?" Lily said.

"Er…alone, if you don't mind," she added to Scorpius.

He shrugged and made to stand up from his seat, but before so, he planted a kiss on Lily's cheek and said, "See you later, then."

When Mikayla's back was turned, Lily saw him wink at her and her face stretched into a smile. _Looks like I don't need to wait for a week, after all_, she thought.

"What was that about?" Mikayla asked as she sat beside her.

"What was _what_ about?" Lily asked back innocently.

"You—with Malfoy! He kissed you on the cheek!" she exclaimed. "What on earth has got into your mind, Lily?"

"He was just being nice," she said truthfully. In all honesty, she'd rather just chat up and laugh with Scorpius Malfoy than let her best friend interrogate her, which she was sure she would after what she'd just seen.

Mikayla didn't look convince. "How can you be sure? You're not exactly on speaking terms with him, are you?"

"I am," Lily said. "Well, really though, he _is_ being nice, Mikayla. We were doing rounds last night—he's my partner—and he was there last night when…when I caught Adam and Beth." She sighed. "Well, you could imagine the rest. I hexed those two and crumbled and cried on the floor and he comforted me and took me to the kitchen for some hot chocolate and we've had a bit of a chat…"

"I don't think you crumbled on the floor," she said, "but he comforted you?" she asked in disbelief.

Lily nodded, but didn't feel up to telling her about her revenge plan, yet. She was sure she'd talk her out of it.

"I know it's quite hard to believe," she muttered, "but he's nice, you know." But her friend pursed her lips, still looking unconvinced so Lily pressed on. "Kaye, he's not like the rest of them. I know it."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Lily nodded. "Yep. I'm definitely, one hundred percent sure."

Mikayla's shoulders dropped a little in relief.

"I saw you laughing with him earlier," she commented, giving her a perceptive look. "You didn't seem like a girl who's been ditched by her boyfriend or betrayed by her best friend, you know."

"He's sort of…distracting," Lily muttered.

Mikayla giggled. "I know what you mean…he's kind of good-looking, isn't he?"

Lily just shrugged in response. "Anyway," she said, changing the subject, "I don't think that's the reason you came here." She gave her best friend a pointed look.

She sighed. "You're right. Beth came over me at breakfast when you left and said—"

"I don't bloody care what she said," Lily cut in sharply.

"Lily—"

"Please just shut up, Kaye, or I'll be tempted to avoid you as well…"

Mikayla sighed in frustration at her stubborn friend.

"Lily—" she tried again, to no avail because Lily was now standing up and was about to leave when she grabbed her arm.

She turned around and Mikayla was shocked to see a lone tear escape her eye.

"Lily I'm—I'm so sorry I…" But she didn't know what else to say.

"Had you been on my shoes," Lily said, wiping the tears, "would you be able to forgive her that easily?"

"I know I'm—I'm so sorry, Lily. I really am. I just didn't consider…"

"I know I'm making it look a lot easier than it seems to be, but—oh, I don't like this," she said quietly as she sat back down on her seat. "I hate being dramatic. Ugh. I just couldn't help it because she used to be my best friend. I wouldn't be like this if it was another woman Adam was snogging in that cupboard. Why does he have to be such an _arse_? And I never judged Beth on her impeccable taste for choosing her _playmates_ but I couldn't stop thinking about how a bitch she is…"

"I'm sorry I'm adding up to your troubles," Mikayla mumbled.

"Don't be," Lily said and she was smiling now. "And besides, my eyes are dry now so you can bite back any guilty comebacks. Drama's over because I suck at it."

Mikayla smiled in relief and Lily was glad. She did need not to see her friend as down as she was.

"So what's the story about Malfoy?" Mikayla asked.

"He's a good guy," Lily said. "And gorgeous, that is. End of story."

"Really, Potter," someone said amusedly and the two of them looked down to see Scorpius Malfoy there, walking back towards them. "Gorgeous? Honestly."

"What're you doing back up here?" Lily asked easily, not in the least bit perturbed that she was caught complimenting him.

"I forgot my cloak," he answered. Looking up, she saw a gray cloak hanging on the upper railings and he took it. "Anyway, see you around, _Lily_," he said, walking back down the stands and to the grounds gracefully. Lily noted that he used her first name and, despite knowing that it was only just for the plan, she felt an incredible feeling washing over her when he said her name like that.

"Really, Lils," Mikayla said, startling her from her thoughts, "I don't think he's just being nice."

Lily didn't answer but smiled to herself. Even the observant Mikayla was fooled by Scorpius Malfoy's acting skills.

* * *

><p>Lily entered the common room with Mikayla after lunch because she insisted on them getting done with their homework. What she saw, though, made her want to run screaming that it almost destroyed her. Sitting on the far corner of the room, on the couch near the window, were 'those two arses' glued together once more by the tongue. She resisted the urge to hex them as she repressed bile rising on her throat, shuddering.<p>

"On second thoughts," Lily said to Mikayla, "I'm going to get out of here. I think I'm just gonna pour over some sick instead of ink if I stayed here any longer."

"Lily, don't—"

But she snatched her arm back from Mikayla's hand and stalked out of the portrait hole. She didn't realize that there were still lingering feelings she had for Adam after what he'd done to her. Wanting so badly to forget that sickening image, she set off to the locker rooms and got her Firebolt out of the broom shed.

She mounted it and kicked off into the air, relaxing as the feeling of flying again washed through her. Contrary to most witches, it was calming rather than nerving for her to fly with brooms. She kept looping around the pitch, letting herself enjoy as the ugly image of those two arses slowly dissolve from her thoughts.

Just when she was relaxing herself by simply hovering in midair, she looked down and almost fell off her broom.

Walking around the pitch, with his eyes on her, was Scorpius. He gestured for her to come down and she did so, landing smoothly on the ground beside him.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. "How come you know where I am?"

"I heard from a bunch of Gryffindors that you ran off from your common room after seeing those _two_," he said. "I thought you might be here."

Lily turned away from him and said, "I couldn't stand to think that they're still together after last night…" She shuddered but suddenly felt a pair of strong arms around her, hugging her, giving the same warm feeling of last night when he held her hand.

"Relax," he said and pulled away, taking her hand instead and pulling her to sit on the stands. She brought her Firebolt with her and set it carefully beside her.

"It's been spread out around school," he said suddenly and Lily looked up, knowing exactly what he meant.

"That Harry Potter's daughter's been cheated by a right old arse and her best friend?" she said with an edge to her voice. "Okay, I couldn't stand all this drama." She sighed. "Don't get me wrong because I kind of like my freedom but Beth just gets in the way."

"So you don't care about McLaggen, then?"

"Of course, not," she answered, sighing again. "I _did_, but not now, though. Well, of course it would take a couple of days at the very least to erase the feeling of being replaced with another woman, but really, I've never been in love with him, if that's what you think. I know he was a right arse before I dated him but I thought he was slowly morphing into a better image. Guess it's the other way around, seeing as he's becoming worse."

He sighed and stood up, holding his hand out to her.

"What?" she asked but took his offered hand nonetheless.

He pulled her up and said, "Put your broomstick back on the broom shed. We're going to cause a scene."

* * *

><p>Hand in hand, Lily and Scorpius walked inside the Great Hall. Lily was managing to look calm yet careworn at the same time. She was feeling nervous about this despite wanting it. Scorpius moved with ease and Lily couldn't help but admire him. She knew that this was all just for the show, to help her, but still…it was quite easy to be with him.<p>

Every pair of eyes was staring on them as they entered. Just before going over to the Slytherin table, Scorpius stopped and murmured in her ear, "Just screw up your face to look a bit crestfallen…but don't overdo it or they'll catch you faster than a Snitch."

The way he phrased it made her almost want to giggle but she composed herself and nodded.

"Thanks." She smiled at him.

He gave her hand a squeeze, whispered, "Don't get nervous," and they parted their ways to their own House tables. Lily went to sit beside Mikayla just as the talking erupted once more inside the hall.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Mikayla said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lily replied in a quiet voice, willing that Mikayla wouldn't notice what she was really doing. "Yeah, I'm totally fine."

"What were you doing with Malfoy again?" she asked softly.

Lily looked at her and sighed. She couldn't bear hide to Mikayla what she was doing. She owed her that. "I'd tell you everything later, alright."

* * *

><p>After dinner, Lily went straight to their dormitory with Mikayla. They sat on Mikayla's bed. They were the only people there because Beth was down the common room with Adam, avoiding her, and Margaret Thomas and Francine Longbottom, the other girls in the dormitory, were also out.<p>

"So," Mikayla said, "where what happened, exactly?"

Lily sighed and began telling her, starting from what happened last night during their rounds to the suggestion he gave her and to her asking for him to help her. Mikayla didn't interrupt, for which Lily was grateful. She then continued with what happened today and how they had become, somehow, friends…with some benefits.

"…and he was actually looking for me before dinner and persuaded me to do the plan so…there's no backing out now."

Mikayla sighed. "Everyone's definitely talking about that little scene you've caused earlier. You should know how shocked Al looked when he saw you…not that he was outraged; I think he was just shocked to see you with Malfoy, of all people."

Lily noted that Mikayla still has a thing for his brother. Why would she observe him, of all people, if she hadn't? Nevertheless, that wasn't the time to discuss that now.

"So…" Lily said, biting her lip "…aren't you going to tell me off for doing this?"

She rolled her eyes at her. "Knowing you as I do, you'd still do it, anyway. What's the point of trying to make you see sense?"

But Lily didn't crack a smile in response like she expected. Instead, she stared at the open window and said, "You don't think there's a reason why I'm doing this, then?"

"I could see it from your point of view, Lily," she said patiently, "but don't you think it might just…hurt you in the end?"

"I couldn't see why that would hurt me," she said back. "I'm going to sleep now," she said evasively and made to go to her bed but Mikayla stopped her.

"It's barely nine," she said, sighing.

"And I've barely slept last night," Lily retaliated and made her way to her bed this time. Closing the hangings around her, she muttered, "G'night Kaye," and let her mind drift to a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>Lily woke up early the next day, having slept early herself. Looking at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was still six o'clock in the morning. She didn't feel up to waiting for the rest of her dorm-mates to wake up so, changing into her day clothes, she slipped out of bed and out of the room. Expecting the common room to be empty, she was about to collapse on her favorite armchair by the window when the tiniest of movements caught her attention and she stood on her ground.<p>

It was Beth, who turned her head to look at her. That was must have been the movement that stopped her. Beth opened her mouth to say something but Lily turned her back on her and made a beeline to the portrait hole but she heard her following. Stopping on mid-walk, she didn't turn around to face her when she said, "What?"

"Lily," she heard Beth say in a small, throaty voice. "I—I want to talk to you…"

She turned around to face her, no pity in her eyes. "You _are_ talking right now," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Why don't you continue before I change my mind?"

She gulped. "Please Lily…I couldn't take this…"

Lily rolled her eyes, despite some part of her melting because of her obvious torment. "It's been barely more than one day and you couldn't take it already?" she said, harshness still in her voice. "I thought you'd last a month before begging for me."

With this, Beth actually burst into tears but didn't dare approach her. "Please Lily, listen to me…"

"I don't want to hear what you've got to say," Lily said stubbornly.

"You're being unreasonable! Why couldn't you let me—"

"Explain?" Lily cut in coldly. "Explain what? If you've seen your best friend half-naked inside a closet with your boyfriend, how would you react? What would you do? See! Bloody hell, please don't show your face to me at the moment! You know what—I'm _sick_! I'm sick of seeing you, thinking that we've spent four years at school as best friends and you betrayed me! Just—just don't try to talk to me again! I don't want another one of those lies because I've had enough for the whole bloody year!"

Beth continued to sob, but Lily didn't even tear up. It was one of those great things she loved about herself. She didn't cry easily. She stood her ground, never backing down. She would cry sometimes, although it passes as quickly as it comes.

Turning around, she stalked out of the common room and wandered around the castle. She let her feet carry her along the familiar corridors, not knowing where she was heading. She was thinking if she had been a bit harsh, but still, the angry side of her won over her slight guilt.

Pulling herself back from her thoughts, she found herself in the Great Hall and decided that she could at least have breakfast without anyone staring at her because of their little scene yesterday.

There was hardly anyone inside except for a handful of students dressed in green and silver robes at the far right of the hall. The Slytherins, she realized, were having their tryouts today. Among them was, of course, their captain, Scorpius. She had an internal debate on whether to leave already before they saw her but Scorpius caught her eye and made a beeline for her.

"You look upset," he said when he reached her.

Upon noticing the stares of the other Slytherins, Lily beckoned for him to follow her out of the hall.

"What is it?" he asked when they were out of their line of sight.

"Beth," she answered, sighing. "I had a row with her this morning."

"Sometimes, I couldn't understand you girls," he muttered and she looked up questioningly at him.

"What is it about us that you couldn't understand?" she asked.

He sighed. "It's obvious you're still upset about losing your friend," he said slowly, as if explaining to a five year old. "And yet, you just couldn't get over your emotions and just forgive her."

Lily glared at him, but he didn't even flinch.

"How about if you join me on our table?" he suggested suddenly. "You could watch the tryouts with us, later…"

She cringed. "No, I think I'll pass the offer, but thanks."

"C'mon, just let me do this one," he persuaded, flashing me a dazzling smile. "I'm doing you a huge favor so could you at least do me this one?"

She bit her lip, deciding on how to wriggle her way out of this, but upon seeing the look in his face, she sighed and nodded.

"Make sure I'll come out of this alive," she muttered.

He grinned at her as she let him pull her towards her doom.

Silence immediately fell upon the Slytherins as they approached. Feeling horrible, Lily sat as close as possible to Scorpius, avoiding the cold looks coming from them.

"So," someone said from Lily's other side and she turned around to see a good-looking boy with dark skin and friendly eyes. "You must be Scor's newest catch."

Lily glared at him but upon noticing that he was joking, softened her expression.

"Sorry, you must be offended," he said and held out his hand. "I'm Hayden Zabini, by the way."

"Lily Potter," she said, shaking his hand. She suddenly felt more comfortable that at least the person on her other side seemed friendly enough.

"So what exactly are you and Scor are?" Hayden asked.

"We're friends," Lily answered immediately and glanced at Scorpius. "Well, I think we're…friendly enough…?"

Hayden chuckled. "Well, Scor wouldn't be inviting you here if you two aren't friendly enough, would he?"

"Actually, I was thinking more like he was bringing me to my worst nightmare when he asked me to come here," Lily said and grinned at Scorpius.

"How did you know?" he said dramatically. "I was expecting you to suffer emotional and physical pain when you entered our lair!"

Despite herself, Lily couldn't help but laugh. "I take it—the two of you are best mates."

"Absolutely not," they both said at the same time that it made Lily laugh another time.

"Yeah, you're definitely not best friends," she said sarcastically. "Anyway, I'd better go back to _our_ lair."

"Don't want to be caught with the enemies, do you, Potter?" someone sneered and I turned around to see a porky Slytherin with short, black hair, no neck, mean eyes, and flat nose. I managed not to snort just in time because, how ironic was it that the first thing I thought of was a talking pig?

"Excuse me," she said rudely when she recovered. "But why do I want to be caught with a talking pig?"

The other Slytherins burst out laughing at this. She could hear Scorpius' hearty chuckle beside her and felt better in an instant than she had all morning.

"Thanks for taking me here to this wondrous place, Malfoy," she said, standing up. Grinning, she added, "Who would've thought I would see a missing swine in the middle of snakes?"

The laughter doubled and Lily felt that she had gotten the positive views of the rest of the Slytherins…all except the one whom she taunted, and whoever he was, was glaring fiercely at her right now.

She didn't care, though. Lily never cared about the way people look at her, the way people see her. She didn't care in other people's opinion, except the people she cared about. And speaking of people she cared about, she didn't notice before that Mikayla was already there with Albus and both were staring at her with wide eyes.

"What _did_ just happen?" asked Al as soon as she sat herself in front of them. She had a clear view of Scorpius looking at her that moment, but she averted her gaze.

"I only sat on the one table with people on them," she said, shrugging.

"With the Slytherins?" he exclaimed. "Lily, are you mad?"

She glared at him. "They're not at all that bad."

"It has something to do with Malfoy, hasn't it?" he snapped.

"We're sort of friendly toward each other, you know!" she retaliated. "He was being nice and comforting to me when I've seen Adam and Beth hooking up!"

"Oh," he mumbled. "Sorry…I just presumed—"

"Forget it," she said. "I don't have time for another row."

He looked at her with narrowed eyes but said nothing. She was used to her brother looking at her like that. It meant he was sensing something she didn't want to tell him. Uncannily omniscient, that was what Al was.

Luckily for her, the morning post just arrived and she was released from her brother's scrutiny. An unfamiliar gray owl came swooping down on her, gracefully avoiding her porridge. It flew off as soon as it dropped a neatly folded note on her lap. Al and Therese began to chat so Lily, who had no intention of letting them read it, opened the letter down the table, wondering who it was from. The cursive and elegant writing was unfamiliar.

_Potter,_

_Meet me in the pitch after tryouts. How about if I say 'please'?_

_Scorpius_

Lily hid a smile as she looked over at the Slytherin table. It was amusing how he phrased his letter in a cocky yet funny sort of way. She could see Scorpius chatting with the Slytherins but she knew perfectly well that he knew she was looking at him.

_How the hell could he send me a letter with an owl?_ she suddenly thought incredulously.

Finally, he met her gaze. To her astonishment, he winked at her as he stood up and led the Slytherins to the pitch. She raised an eyebrow at him but averted her eyes quickly, nonetheless, not wanting Al to turn on his perceptive stare once more.

* * *

><p>It was nearly lunch when Lily went over the pitch. The Slytherin tryouts have just finished and there were hardly any Slytherin left. The exception, of course, was Scorpius, and with him was Hayden.<p>

"Why, hello Potter," Hayden said as soon as she was in view. "Mmm, I see. Ickle Scorpy's getting sneaky, huh?"

"Shut up," he said to Hayden and Lily noticed that he was freshly showered, wearing casual day clothes, with his blond hair dripping slightly with water. He looked…_gorgeous_

"I'll just leave the two of you, then," Hayden said slyly and walked away. Now that they were the only ones left on the pitch, Lily suddenly felt a bit nervous, but only just a bit.

"So what was that note all about?" she asked as he led her towards the stands.

"Nothing in particular," he said. "I just wanted to tell you that many women have been bombarding me since yesterday about you and me, since I forgot to tell you back on the table."

She wrinkled her nose. "Er…I couldn't say I'm entirely sorry since I think you're used to it."

He chuckled. "You're probably right. Anyway, have you suffered the same fate?"

She grinned at him. "Nope. I've locked myself up in our dormitory and talked to no one but Mikayla."

"Good for you."

"So, that's it? You wanted to meet up with me here so you could ask if I was being harassed by nosy people?"

"There's something more, actually," he said. "I just wanna ask how you're doing. So, how are you doing?"

"Doing what?"

"Doing with the two arses, that is."

His eyes softened at this words that Lily suddenly felt gratitude at him.

"I'm not fine, apparently," she said lightly. "Thanks for asking, though."

"You know what?" he said. "We could easily make you feel better."

"How?"

He grinned. "Let's put on a bigger show."

"What happened to taking it slow?"

"Never mind that now," he said. "So?"

Lily thought for a moment and smiled at him. "You know what, Malfoy? I think I like the sound of it."

He grinned as he stood up and offered her his hand. Taking his hand, she smiled.

"How about if we call each other by first names?" he said. "It'll make it more believable."

She shrugged. "Sure…_Scorpius._"

The name sounded so foreign, so tender on her lips that made Scorpius want to hear it once more.

"Let's go and make some heck of rumors!" he said enthusiastically and we both laughed.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em>

_But hey, this might take a while before they _really_ get together since I don't like those crappy, sappy love stories where the main characters (Lily and Scorpius in this case) will fall in love way too fast._

_On a side note, it might take me three days at least, a week at most, for me to update. You might've noticed but I'm used to making long chapters. I hope you'll be patient with me. =)_

_ Anyway,_

_ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	3. Action and Reaction

_Thanks **Rusichan, LuLu Tonks, MinnesotaHPlover, hushpuppy22, Medz23, Bucky5, Kels97, juust me , -SnowflakeBeautiful-, lexi427 **and** aleera** for reviewing the last chapter. I'll bear those things in mind. _ü

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3—Action and Reaction<strong>

"So what kind of rumors do you have in mind?" Lily asked as they made their way towards the castle.

"You'll see," he said. "Just go with it. I know what exactly what to do."

"Somehow, I believe you," she muttered. "I sure hope it wouldn't make me look like a slag, though."

"Oh, you would look utterly decent," he said, flashing a lopsided smile.

"If I didn't, Mal—Scorpius, I swear I'll hex you into the next century."

He chuckled. "I swear you'll thank me after this."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

They were already in the entrance to the Great Hall when he pulled her to the side behind a suit of armor. Nevertheless, hundreds of students were bustling to enter the hall for lunch and many eyes turned to see the two of them. A suit of armor didn't exactly hide them both thoroughly. Lily, who had a clear view of the passing students, saw Adam among them. She turned her eyes back to Scorpius.

"We're seen by at least half the school," she muttered but didn't sound nervous at all.

He leaned down and whispered, "Exactly," in her ear. "Brace yourself for the next…"

And before she knew it, he was kissing her. Well, not really kissing her. More precisely, he was kissing the side of her mouth, but from the students view, it would look as if he was. He cupped either side of her face so that no one would see clearly what he was doing.

_Sneak_, Lily thought.

He pulled away and met her hazel eyes.

"That was one heck of a fake kiss, _Malfoy_," she said in a voice barely more than a whisper as she stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a real kiss. It wasn't really one of those usual long, passionate kisses; it was small, sweet and swift, but a real kiss, nonetheless.

* * *

><p>"I couldn't believe you've done that!" Scorpius exclaimed for the hundredth time as he and Lily were hiding inside the kitchens. The rumors about Scorpius Malfoy and Lily Potter kissing have already spread around the school and now they were hiding from everyone.<p>

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "I kissed you because you didn't do it properly," she said, shrugging. "Anyway, it was just a small kiss. I never thought Scorpius Malfoy was a bad kisser," she teased, grinning at him. She was secretly glad that things were the same between them because she didn't want to get awkward after that little scene.

"How do you know that I'm a bad kisser?" he said in a husky voice, leaning his face closer to her until they were millimeters apart. "I just thought, for your sake, that I wouldn't kiss you for real. I do have one condition, remember?" His eyes were burning into hers now that she felt slightly trapped in.

However, it wasn't easy to sway someone like Lily Potter.

"You've got one heck of seduction skills," she murmured, their lips almost touching, "but sorry, that' won't work for me. And as for _that_ condition, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but I'm still definitely, absolutely, positively—_not in love with you_."

Smirking, he pulled away until their faces were a safe distance away once more.

"I should probably feel insulted," he said, "but really, Pot—Lily, you're amusing me."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "In a good way, I hope?"

"I don't know why, but your bluntness to the point of rudeness is actually good for me," he admitted.

"You know what I think?" she said, grinning, "I think that it's your way of complimenting me in a cleverly twisted way."

He chuckled. "You caught me!" he said playfully, shaking his head, grinning.

"Anyway," Lily said, "I should probably show up, now...or we could show up '_fake_ together'."

He shrugged. "Do you honestly want people talking about 'fake _us_' now?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, I'm starting to regret this. People are being nosier than ever."

"What've I gotten myself into?" he said, taking a bite of his chocolate tart.

"You could back off now," Lily said, trying to sound unconcerned, but truth was, she still wanted to continue this. "We could 'fake breakup' after a couple of hours, for all I care."

"Tempting…" he said, taking a bite of his chocolate tart "But no."

"That's…good news…I think?" she mumbled, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

"Why do you say it like a question?" he said absently.

She shrugged. "I don't know…It's a good start seeing Adam's face after that…"

"But?"

"But it's annoying to feel like the trending topic around the school," she mumbled. "I hate attention."

"You do?" he said, taken aback.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Who wants to have the spot light around school? Honestly, only people like Adam and Beth wanted that. It's aggravating to hear people talking about you, especially with those twisted, exaggerated stories far from truth."

"Like that girl we heard talking that we snogged for about a whole minute?" he said, smirking.

"Exactly."

"Well, that's not so bad, then, isn't it? You snogged me and—"

Lily slapped his arm before he could finish his sentence, laughing.

"Hey!"

"Take that back, _Malfoy_!" she said, still laughing.

"But you—"

"I didn't _snog_ you."

"You did."

She slapped his arm again, laughing when he exclaimed, "Ouch!"

"So?"

"Alright, alright, Miss-In-Denial," he said, smirking. "You didn't _snog_ me for a minute, just a tiny, teeny, small kiss. Happy?"

"Quite," she said, grinning. "But don't ever call me _Miss_-_In_-_Denial_ again."

"Sure, Lily." They smiled at each other.

They were quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts. They were thinking about the same thing, though—how easy it was to be with the other. They seemed like best friends for years now the way they move, talk and sit comfortably with each other. Even the silence wasn't uncomfortable. And to think that their first rounds together was only just two days ago…

"You know what," Lily said suddenly, "I think I'm going to dinner."

"Dinner?" he repeated incredulously. "Wait, what time is it?"

"It's already six fifteen," Lily answered, looking up from her wristwatch to him. "So…"

"So…"

"Let's go," they said together at the same time, looked at each other for a few moments, and laughed.

"C'mon," he said when the laughter died down. "Better give the nosy people something to talk about."

She smiled and nodded, taking his offered hand as the two of them exited the kitchens and walked together to meet the 'nosy people'.

* * *

><p>The next day found both Lily and Scorpius in a spot light. Since it was Monday already, they couldn't avoid anyone.<p>

"I'm starting to regret signing up as your best friend," Mikayla muttered to Lily as they exited the hall after breakfast, heading for Charms.

"Shut up," Lily said. "I didn't make you sign up here. You became my best friend on your own will. Anyway, I'm the one they're staring at, you're just the background."

"I should feel insulted," Mikayla said dryly, "but I'd gladly be the background right now."

"Shut up," Lily said again and turned to glare at a passing student. "What're you staring at?" she snapped and the girl ran off fearfully.

"Lily! That was a second year you yelled at!"

"So?"

"So? So you're going to have a bad image around the school."

"Like that'd bother me," she said unconcernedly. "I already have a bad image for going out with a Slytherin, even if it's just _fake_." She mouthed the last word so as no one would hear.

Mikayla rolled her eyes at her friend. "Honestly, I wanted to feel bad for—"

"Don't feel bad, then," Lily cut in before she could finish her sentence.

"—you but you don't even seem in the least bit bothered, yourself!"

"That's because I'm not."

"How could you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make yourself seem unconcerned."

Lily scowled at her. "I _am _unconcerned."

"No, you're not."

"My only concern is my family's opinion and your opinion, since you _are_ family to me. I don't care the bloody hell about what everyone else's saying about me, though."

Mikayla stared at her with big blue eyes.

"What?" asked Lily.

Mikayla remained silent.

"Stop staring at me, Kaye," Lily said, flinching against her unblinking stare. "It's creepy!"

Without warning, Mikayla pulled her into a hug. Lily was stunned. They were in the Charms corridor and students were passing everywhere, giving them funny looks…well, mostly Lily.

"Mikayla Palmer, what the heck are you doing?" Lily hissed as she pulled away.

Mikayla beamed radiantly. "I'm just glad that you consider me as a family," she said.

"You don't have to be so dramatic in showing your gratitude," Lily said, smiling nonetheless. "Besides, if you don't think of me as a sister, I'd kill you."

Both girls laughed as they continued their way and entered the Charms classroom.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Baldwin, their Charms professor. The class quieted at once. Even though he was a cheerful professor, he had the knack to keep a class silent once he began.

"Today, we'll be continuing our lessons about Silencing Charms," he announced to the class, "but wands out, everyone, because we're doing practical today. Everyone, pick a partner! I've lost all the frogs in my storage so you're going to have to work with yourselves. And no faking mute, everyone!"

Lily and Mikayla paired up. They had no problem pairing up this time seeing as Beth was avoiding Lily, and on extension, Mikayla as well. She was now paired up with Adam.

"Good thing we're doing Silencing Charms today, don't you think?" Lily said cheerfully to Mikayla. "I could easily excuse myself for practicing it when I use it on everyone talking about me and Scorpius."

"Yep," Mikayla agreed. "We should definitely start practicing it because we've got the whole school to turn the mute button on to."

"_Silencio!_" Lily said without warning, pointing her wand at Mikayla. It worked. Mikayla kept opening her mouth back and forth and seemed to be giggling but no words came out. "_Finite_!"

"Thanks goodness, you've removed that."

She took her turn and had also done it on her first attempt.

"Excellent!" Professor Baldwin said. "Five points apiece to Gryffindor."

They grinned at each other.

"So, what're we going to do for the next"—she checked her watch—"forty-five minutes?"

"I'm just going to sit here and make fun at those two arses, if you don't mind," Lily answered absentmindedly.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day came in the same fashion to Lily—everyone staring at her wherever she went. Girls didn't whisper, but made loud enough comments for her to here. During lunch, Mikayla had to restrain Lily with all her might due to an infamous and very nosy Hufflepuff, Charlotte Venison.<p>

"Have you slept with him?" Charlotte Venison had suddenly blurted out to Lily over the Gryffindor table at lunch that Lily felt her temper rising.

"What did you just say?" she asked in a dangerously low voice, standing up to face the seventh year. She might've been two years younger than her, but Lily was taller and much more dangerously talented with wands.

"I just asked if you slept with Malfoy," she said bravely.

Noticing what she was about to do, Mikayla grabbed Lily's hand to prevent her from getting her wand. "Lily! Stopped it, you're creating a scene!" she hissed, pulling her friend back down to her seat, to no avail. Everyone was silent now, watching them almost excitedly.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did…"Venison continued and Lily reached the end of her tolerance.

"You know what, Charlotte Venison?" Lily said loudly so that everyone would hear. "I think I know where you've gotten your name—Charlotte. It could only have been gotten from _harlot_. That's what you seem to be. And to answer your question, I've never, _ever_, slept with anyone except _myself_! Just because I'm going out with someone, doesn't mean I've got to sleep with him!"

"So, you really are—"

Before she could finish the sentence, Lily slapped her on the face. Just then, the headmistress, Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat and marched over to them. Lily braced herself for the punishment, but it wasn't directed to her.

"Ten points from Hufflepuff for such a provocative comment!" she said and turned to Lily. "And Miss Potter, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't burst like that every moment, particularly in front of a very large audience."

"Yes, Professor," she said, calming herself down and taking her seat once more as the headmistress went back to the high table.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Lily."<p>

Lily looked up to see Scorpius leaning casually on the oak tree under which shade she was sitting on at the moment. She headed here after her last class, Transfiguration, not in the mood to join Mikayla in the library.

"Hey, Scorpius," she said in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

"You sound like you don't want my company," he said, moving to sit beside her, nonetheless.

"Not you, no," she said, looking straight ahead towards the Black Lake. "Just the rest of the school."

"I saw you snap at Venison over lunch," he commented suddenly.

"Well, who didn't?" she said sarcastically.

"Relax," he said, smiling. "You don't look so pretty when you're in a bad mood."

She scowled at him. "Sorry, Malfoy, but compliments don't work on me when I'm in a _bad mood_."

"So now I'm Malfoy again?" he said.

She sighed. "Sorry, Scorpius…"

"It's fine," he said. "And I know you're not a high-class…_sleeper_…"—she snorted at his choice of word—"because I wouldn't have helped you if you were."

"That doesn't make me _that_ much better," she said, smirking, "but fair enough."

He chuckled. "Is that your way of saying thank you in your 'cleverly, twisted way'?" he said, repeating the words she used yesterday.

"You caught me!" she said, repeating his words, too. The two of them laughed lightly for a while, enjoying the easy track their conversation moved into.

"So," Scorpius said when the laughter died down, "there's a Hogsmeade weekend at the end of a month. It's a Saturday. We should probably go together, shouldn't we?"

Lily shrugged. "Well, I guess…so that would be like, our 'first _fake_ _real_ date'."

He snorted. "That doesn't even make sense," he said. "We'll go, anyway, but please…stop about the whole _fake-thingy_ comebacks, would you?"

She laughed. "Sorry, couldn't help it."

"You seem to say that a lot…"

"Say _what_ a lot? The _fake_ thingy?"

"Not that. _Sorry_."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You say 'sorry' a lot."

"Oh," she mumbled. "Forced habit…it's not like I'm apologizing for everything I've done because believe it or not, I've no regrets whatsoever in my life."

"Even going out with McLaggen?"

"Nope," she answered. "If I didn't, then I wouldn't have known the true colors of Beth, wouldn't have known he's such a stupid git, and wouldn't have been able to get to know you."

"That's…disturbing," he said, not sure what to say.

"Don't let that get to your head," she said. "You and I both know that what we're doing is…_exciting_?"

He grinned. "And here I am, thinking I'm the only one enjoying this bit of 'experience'. It's not everyday you 'fake date' with anyone, after all."

Laughing, she stood up and made him do the same.

"What?"

"If people are going to talk about us, we should at least be more realistic, shouldn't we?" she said. Taking his hand, she led him towards the castle.

"So what exactly do you have in mind?"

"Walking," she said, beaming at him. "Let's just walk around the castle to show everyone we're together."

"Mmm…very old-fashioned and—"

She whacked his arm with her free hand, laughing.

"—decent," he finished, rubbing his arm but grinning at her all the same.

They walked in silence for a while. Just when they reached the entrance hall, a sight caused them both to stop on their tracks.

"Glued again, aren't you?" Lily said loudly, causing Adam and Beth to spring apart. "What if I use a Permanent Sticking Charm this time?"

"Bugger off," Adam said sharply.

She merely rolled her eyes. "Like I would like to hang around watching you two eating each other off," she said sarcastically.

Giving them one last disgusted look, she dragged Scorpius away from them and led him to the first floor corridor.

"So…do you think it's gonna work?" Scorpius said. "Because I just think that bloke doesn't get in the least bit jealous of us…"

Lily smirked. "Trust me on this," she said. "Let's just say he's so full of himself…and he likes the spotlight."

* * *

><p>Surely enough, as Lily have known, Adam was bound to find a way of trying to have Lily back. On Thursday, Lily was heading back to the common room after returning a book in the library when he showed up in front of her, looking all confident.<p>

"Lily," he said, catching up with her in a deserted corridor.

She turned sharply around and gave him a cold look. "If there's anything you want," she said dryly, "bugger off because you're wasting your time."

She continued walking but he caught up with her. "Lily, I kno—"

"Don't 'Lily' me," she interrupted in a hard voice as she walked faster, growing more and more annoyed at him at every second.

"I know you're just doing this to make me jealous," he said and Lily stopped on her tracks. Instead of glaring at him or making an angry comeback like he expected, she snorted.

"You know what? You're so full of yourself," she said, and started walking again. "Go back to the slag. The two of you look so good together. Note the sarcasm."

"Lily, I'm sorry. I know you still want me and—"

She turned around sharply and gave him a sickly sweet smile. She then leaned forward until they were mere inches apart. He gulped as her lips were merely centimeters apart from him now.

"In your wet dreams, McLaggen," Lily said, turning around just as Adam leaned down to kiss her. Smirking to herself, Lily made her way back to the common room.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that arrogant tosser!" Mikayla exclaimed after Lily finished telling her about what happened. Lily was shocked at hearing her best friend's outburst. She rarely cursed, let alone lost her temper. "What the bloody hell is wrong with him? And bloody Beth! Arrrgh!"<p>

Lily just stared at her as she continued her rant, oblivious to her friend's shock. Finally, when she calmed down, Lily said, "Mikayla Palmer, what is wrong with you?"

"Sorry?"

"You've just swore a lot of words!"

"And?"

"You rarely curse," Lily pointed out.

"Oh," Mikayla mumbled. "Well, there's always a time for trying out new things…"

Lily laughed. "Yep. Cursing is definitely new to you. You've done a pretty good job, though." She grinned. "So, you're not going to tell me to reconcile with Beth, now, aren't you?"

"Nope."

"You're not going to talk me out of my plan?"

"Nope."

"You're going to help me?"

"Yep. Definitely."

They grinned and hugged each other just as the dormitory door flew open and in came Beth. Both girls didn't even look at her as she went to go to her bed.

"Guess what?" Lily said loudly. "Someone's got the cheek to show up here."

"If I didn't know better," Beth said, turning around to face them boldly, "I'd say that you _actually_ like Malfoy. But no, you're just using him to try and make Adam jealous."

Lily smirked. She liked it better when Beth is fighting back. "Why do I hear an 'insecure' note in that sentence?"

"I don't—shut up!"

"I couldn't believe I've been friends with you, all those years," Lily said coldly. "You've betrayed your best friend—no, screw that. You've betrayed your _former_ best friend over an arse!"

"He's not as—as superficial and egotistic as you think he is," she said. "We share something special."

Lily laughed derisively. "Oh, special? You mean receiving a tongue bath from each other every now and then? Sickeningly lovely, I dare say. Anyway, just ask your lover-boy whom he _tried_ to kiss an hour ago. That should enlighten you."

With one last smirk at her murderous face, Lily hopped gracefully out of Mikayla's bed, bade her good night, and lied on her own four-poster, closing the hangings around it.

* * *

><p>Breakfast the next morning was a loud affair. Adam and Beth displayed a very rambunctious row over breakfast for everyone to hear. Lily and Scorpius' name were constantly heard over their vociferous rants but neither of them cared. Lily watched in satisfaction while Scorpius watched in amusement.<p>

It was only stopped when the headmistress stepped in, giving both Adam and Beth detentions.

"Payback," Lily muttered, grinning when both of them stalked out of the Great hall even before the bell rang.

"What was that about?" Albus asked, sitting in front of Lily.

Lily was tempted to say 'none of your business' but instead, she said, "I think everyone pretty much heard that they were fighting about me and Scorpius…"

"Why did you start dating Malfoy, anyway? Especially the day after you and that tosser broke up."

"He's good-looking," she answered slowly and added, "both inside and out."

"Er…I'm going to catch up with Mike and the others," he said awkwardly and went back to his friends. Al never felt comfortable with talking to Lily about her relationships, especially when she admitted things like that about them.

"Are you going to tell him you like him?" Lily asked Mikayla suddenly. "You _do_ like him, don't you?"

Mikayla sighed. "Yes, Lily. Happy now?"

"Nope. Not until you admit it to him, anyway."

"I thought sisters were supposed to get upset if their best friend fancies their brother."

"Is that why you didn't admit it to me all those years?" Lily asked gently.

Mikayla nodded. "I thought you'd probably get mad…and besides, I don't think Al likes me that way."

"Not if you don't make a move," Lily interjected.

"But I'm the girl," she said, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lily rolled her eyes at her friend. "It doesn't always take a bloke to ask a girl out. It could be the other way around."

"You say that," Mikayla said. "You're different."

"And you're a Gryffindor. Pluck up some courage and tell him how you feel."

"Right," she mumbled. "But could we just head to Transfiguration right now?"

"Okay. But you'll be getting an earful from me later."

"You've got training later," Mikayla reminded her.

"Darn."

* * *

><p>Practice was more exhausting than usual. It wasn't because Albus was training them overly hard but it was just different without James there. When James was Captain, practices were just as hard but at least there was some humor every now and then. Not that Albus was boring, but he's a pretty focused person. Much too focused, perhaps, for Lily's liking.<p>

"He'll wear down a little soon," her cousin, Roxanne Weasley said when Lily voiced her thoughts to her. She was a sixth year, had dark skin like her mother, red hair like her father, and was the new Chaser of the team, replacing James.

"I hope so," Lily mumbled. "He seems really enthusiastic…a little _too_ enthusiastic, perhaps, that he called practice off after three bloody hours."

"I swear my bum's sore from riding a broom," Roxanne agreed. "Anyway, if we want to win over Slytherin, then…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at Lily.

"Er, Rox? Quit staring 'cause it's freaking me out."

"You're going out with the Slytherin Captain…"

"Oh," Lily mumbled, mentally hitting herself. Why had it never crossed her mind before? They had talked about it during their rounds around the castle. "I totally forgot!"

"Don't you think he might be using you or…?"

Lily glared at her cousin. "Of course not," she said dryly. "He's not anything like that, Roxie. I admit, he's kind of…_cheeky_? Well, that's it but he's not a manipulator…" _Well, he is. He's helping me manipulate the 'two arses' situation, but it's not as if those two didn't deserve it_, she added mentally to herself.

"I couldn't blame you for going out with him, though," Roxanne said, smiling slyly. "He's a bit good-looking, isn't he?"

"And that," Lily said, grinning, "is the understatement of the year."

The two girls laughed. Lily wasn't blind. Scorpius Malfoy was definitely something to look at. She doesn't like or see him like that, though. She liked hanging out with him because he could easily turn complicated things into easy ones.

"Hey Rox, I'm going back now. You coming?"

"No go ahead. I'm going with Paula." Paula Hollander was another Chaser and a sixth year so that was why Roxanne was probably going with her.

"Okay."

Lily made her way back to the castle alone. It was already late for dinner at the Great Hall and she was starving so she decided to sneak into the kitchens for some food. She was surprised to find it occupied with someone other than house-elves at that time in the evening.

"Hey, what're you doing here, Scorpius?" Lily asked after asking a house-elf for some random food.

"Eating?" he replied in a questioning tone. Lily raised an eyebrow, indicating that she didn't believe him. For one, there wasn't any sign of food in front of him. For another, he didn't seem like the type of person to eat a lot.

"Do you think I would buy that answer?" she said, smiling amusedly at him.

"Alright, alright," he said. "I knew you haven't had dinner yet, so I thought you'd come here—which you did—and I'd join you."

"That very…sweet of you?"

"Why does it sound like a question?"

"Because I don't think you were the sweet type of person," Lily answered, taking a seat in front of him. "But really, though, thanks. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were just eating yourself fat in here."

He grinned. "What kind of 'fake boyfriend' would I be if I let you starve?"

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah. You're getting more and more pathetic, you know."

"Shut up, Potter. You should be more grateful you wouldn't have to talk to yourself while you're here."

"I wouldn't have to talk if you weren't here," Lily said as she accepted the tray of food the house-elves had given her. She started eating the sweets, having no desire to eat heavy meals at the moment.

"So," she said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice, "how's your day after being mentioned on those two's row over breakfast?"

He smirked. "I could say I'm…pretty famous at the moment…"

Lily laughed. "Yeah, right. Like you aren't famous enough."

"Who says I'm famous?" he asked innocently.

"Well, first," Lily said, "you're almost every female at school are practically drooling over you—"

"Are you included in those females, then?" he interrupted.

Lily rolled her eyes. "'Course not. I don't want anything to do with you other than 'fake boyfriend' or friend'. And you'll never know, we might be best friends after the end of the year."

"Best friend, huh?" he said.

She shrugged. "It's possible. Who knows? Besides, if I'm one of those females, then I wouldn't have agreed in your one condition in pretending to be my boyfriend."

"Not falling in love with me?" he said. "Well, I don't think that would be a hard task for you. You don't flutter your lashes or stutter over your words like other women do."

She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, I'm not one of those pathetic, dreamy, girlish girls…"

"I know you aren't," he said. "Anyway, could you continue on your list of…_evidences_…that I'm famous?"

She counted on her fingers and said, "You're a Seeker, Slytherin Quidditch Team Captain and I heard that you were the second best student in your year, next to Rose."

"Yeah, Weasley's simply best at schoolwork," he said and sighed. "Anyway, you forgot to mention one thing."

"Eh?"

"I'm a son of a Death Eater," he said, shrugging nonchalantly but she could see that it was taking him more than what he let on to broach this subject.

"I don't care about that, though," she said, touching his hand that was on the table and giving it a squeeze. "The war was over more than two decades ago. And besides," she said, smiling, "you've become more like a friend to me in less than a week. How the hell could I think like that about you?"

He shrugged but offered her a grin. "I don't know. Many people still cared about that."

"Not the one that matters," she countered. "Look, I know my opinion don't matter that much—"

"It does," he interrupted. "But honestly, I don't think much of that by now."

He suddenly twisted the hand she was holding and entwined her hand on his. "So, my dear friend of six days, I think I ought to walk you back to your common room before curfew. You could take those sweets in the common room with you."

"Thanks," she said, smiling as she stood up, still holding his hand as she put a couple of desserts inside her pocket. After thanking the house-elves, the two of them went outside the kitchens and up the staircases.

"So, d'you know where our common room is?" Lily asked him curiously.

"Yep," he answered. "I stumbled upon it once and saw a little Weasley entering it when I was doing rounds on fifth year. If I'm not mistaken, his name was Hugo Weasley. He was sneaking out, I s'pose, but I didn't bother punishing him. "

"Oh. I remember Hugo telling me about it."

"So, d'you know where our common room is?" he asked in return.

Lily turned to grin at him. "Of course."

He looked surprise. "How?"

"It's…a secret, I s'pose."

He frowned at her. "C'mon, Lily. I wouldn't divulge your secrets," he said teasingly. "Have you dated a Slytherin before?"

"'Course not," she said dryly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he said, half offended, half amused.

She sighed. "Do you honestly think any Slytherin would want to date me?"

"Well, you're"—He looked her up and down—"quite pretty."

She jerked her hand away from him and smacked his arm, laughing.

"Shut up," she muttered. "I'm hardly '_quite_ pretty'!"

"You're right," he said, grinning. "I could see you're simply…average looking."

She couldn't control the laughs escaping from her mouth right now. "Scorpius…bloody Malfoy…shut up before I strangle you!"

"You could hardly strangle me with that height of yours," he teased.

"Who says I'll use my limbs?" she said, taking her wand out of her robes and twirling it playfully between her fingers.

"And I take that back," he said, his face lit up with his lopsided grin. "You're utterly beautiful, Lily."

Despite herself, the way he said it made her smile. Pocketing her wand, she let him take her hand again as they continued walking upstairs.

"That's actually the first straightforward compliment I heard you say," Lily said, smiling at him. "Even though I needed to threaten your life just to admit it."

He chuckled. "Well, I dare say you have the talent to force the truth out of people."

"I have my ways," she said, biting her lip. "I hope you aren't getting tired of my constant presence."

He shook his head at her in slight exasperation. "If I'm getting tired of your presence, I wouldn't have gone to the kitchens and wait for you to come there."

"Thanks," she said just as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Well, this is me," she muttered, nodding her head to the painting. "You'd better go. Thanks for waiting for me there, anyway, and—"

But before she could get out another word, he leaned down and planted a soft, passionate kiss on her lips. Lily felt a warm feeling spread inside her body as she kissed him back. He pulled away, his eyes trailing off to the direction of the portrait hole. Lily caught a glimpse of Adam before the portrait was shut once more.

"Sorry, I've got to do that," Scorpius said softly. "You might let something slip that McLaggen shouldn't hear."

"Don't apologize," Lily said easily, smiling at him. "Now, I'm forced to take back what I said the last time." She smiled at him. "You're definitely an excellent kisser."

He grinned. "I told you so."

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading!<em>

_For those who are confused to Lily's reactions, her feelings toward Scorpius are still totally platonic. They're friends, and that's all they are to each other at the moment. There's always a right time for a good romance and that would be a couple more chapters away…_

_Anyway, **PLEASE REVIEW! **__It'll only take you about thirty seconds...and it makes me happy (just as long as it isn't rude) so, **review!** _ü_**  
><strong>_


	4. Eccentric

_Thanks to these amazing people—**aleera, Loves-life555, Gonewiththerain09, juust me, bia13, Rusichan, ladymacaroni, Bucky5, vavette89, Huntress3419, darkchocol8807**—for reviewing the last chapter. I'm really glad you like my story. _

_:D_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4—Eccentric<strong>

The next days passed by in a routine for Lily. She would wake up early in the morning, come to meals with Mikayla, attend to classes with everyone, spend afternoons with Scorpius, either on the grounds, kitchens, pitch or library, kissing a bit whenever Adam and Beth are around and laughing at their fuming faces, chatting with girl things at night with Mikayla and Quidditch trainings three times a week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This time, though she was going to spend her Friday night doing rounds with Scorpius.

She met him in the entrance hall like the first and second time. Her gloved hand was tucked safely on her pockets. It was getting colder these days, and yet, the rain wasn't surfacing yet, again.

"Hey, Scorpius," she said when she arrived.

"Hey, Lily," he said. "You look…_cold_."

"I am, so let's get this rounds started because I bloody hate the cold. I like the rain, though."

He gave her a funny look. "How was it someone would like the rain but hate the cold? It _is_ cold when raining, though, isn't it?"

She shrugged. "I don't feel that much cold when I'm wetting myself in the rain."

"You're…odd."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm _me_. Simple as that."

They were silent for a few moments, walking through the torch-lit corridors of the castle, hearing the pounding rain outside. The silence, though, wasn't an uncomfortable one. They've already gotten used to each other in such a short space of time. Two weeks, and they were already too close for such a teenage boy and girl who are only friends (pretending to be dating).

"So," Lily said after a while. He turned to see her looking straight ahead as she continued. "Where the hell are we going tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow what?" he asked in confusion and she turned to met his stare.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Does Hogsmeade ring a bell?"

He smacked his hand on his forehead, his eyes wide in understanding. "Darn, how could I have forgotten?"

"So?"

"Er…"

"So what're we gonna do tomorrow? We've gotta be ruining Adam and Beth's day, remember?"

"Right…"

She sighed. "Okay, you're not making sense."

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm a bit…distracted."

She frowned at him. "What's distracting you?"

"Nothing," he said.

"You just said you're distracted and you'll say it's 'nothing'? C'mon Scorpius, it's not like we aren't friends," she said, stopping on her tracks and fixing him a concerned look.

"I told you, it's nothing."

"You're eyes said otherwise," she said stubbornly. "C'mon, tell me."

"You've never been such a nosy woman before," he snapped sharply that Lily was slightly taken aback. She felt several emotions running through her, some of which she couldn't fathom.

She turned around and continued walking silently. She heard his light footsteps follow her but she didn't look back when she said, "I'm sorry if I'm being nosy."

She was certain that he heard her because there was a slight falter in his footsteps before they regained their smooth rhythm again. He didn't say anything, though, but Lily hadn't expected him to. So they continued their rounds, Lily walking in front with Scorpius trailing behind her back.

Lily cursed herself mentally for being downright stupid. It was obvious he didn't want to talk with her about anything that was bothering him. They were sort of friends, yes, but for mere weeks. It didn't exactly give her the right to pry things out of him… That's what she thought, anyway.

Just when she finally began losing her nerve, a pair of hands touched her shoulder, stopping her from walking. Twisting her around, she found herself facing Scorpius, his deep gray eyes burning on her hazel ones. She found herself, for once, lost in his gray orbs, just like all many girls around school.

"Lily…" she heard him say distantly. "I'm sorry."

She blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Lily," he apologized again. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

It took her a few seconds to register what he was saying. Realizing what it was, she sighed. "It's my fault, trying to pry it out of you."

"Still—"

"Shhh…not your fault," she murmured softly, giving him a small smile.

He sighed in relief, smiling back at her, and noticed that he still had his hands on her shoulders so he quickly dropped them and said, "So, what're we going to do tomorrow?"

* * *

><p>"Hey Hugo," Lily said to her cousin over at breakfast the next morning.<p>

"Morning Lils," Hugo said. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Why do you assume that?"

"You're troublesome," he answered, grinning.

She slapped his arm playfully. She and Hugo had always been close since they were kids but just didn't hang out with each other that much at school.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Depends," he said suspiciously.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Stop giving me that look. Anyway, could you take Kaye with you later at Hogsmeade? Because Scorpius and I are going together and she insisted that she didn't want to go with us…"

It was perfectly _untrue_. Mikayla didn't insist not to go with them; Lily didn't invite her to go with them. It was all just part of the plan.

"I don't want her to go alone," Lily continued. "You know, what with Beth and—"

"Alright," Hugo said.

Lily grinned at him. "Thanks! Anyway, I'll meet her around lunch on Three Broomsticks so no pressure. But make sure to keep her entertained!"

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

With a mysterious grin, Lily strode back to the seat beside Mikayla and said, "Done!"

"Do you even have to do that?" Mikayla asked her. "Honestly, I could've gone with…with _myself_."

"I wouldn't do that to you, would I?" Lily said. "Anyway, Hugo's fun. You should have a taste of hanging out with boys, sometimes."

Mikayla gave her a look. "You always hang out with me."

Lily snorted. "I also hang out with Scorpius these days, and if you haven't noticed, I've grown up with two brothers at home, and my dad's godson whom I also consider as a brother. So that makes it three." She frowned. "Come to think of that. You had two boyfriends in the past, both of whom lasted only for three weeks. Do you have a fear of men?"

Mikayla slapped her arm.

"Ouch!" Lily exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"I don't have fear of men!"

"I was just teasing, for Godric's sake!" Lily said, rubbing her arm. "Merlin, woman! I swear you're being more violent these days."

Mikayla shrugged.

"Anyway, there's your date," Mikayla said, nodding her arm towards someone behind Lily. She turned around and saw Scorpius standing there, wearing a casual black jacket over a gray v-neck that snuggled perfectly in his toned body, and muggle jeans that made him look good.

"You look good," Lily said as he sat beside her. "Gray suites you…but I think it's too cliché to match your clothes with your eyes."

He chuckled. "Well, gray happened to look good on me. Anyway, green suites you suites you, too, I think… Reminds me of Christmas with your red hair and green blouse"

Lily looked down at herself. She was wearing a green long sleeve T-shirt and dark denim jeans that fitted her just right, and brown leather boots to keep her feet warm.

She looked up at him. Just then, Scorpius pulled her hair out of its high ponytail and said, "I like your hair better that way."

"Well, seeing as it is my hair—" Lily began but was cut off when Scorpius leaned down and interrupted her with a kiss. She responded automatically. This was one of those kisses they'll do whenever Adam or Beth was around and sure enough, Lily pulled away and saw both of them walking past. Adam glared at Scorpius but Beth perfectly ignored them.

After his first attempt, Adam had tried to get back with Lily two more times, both to no avail. Lily was satisfied. It meant that she still got Adam on her fingers, making her plan easier. It was easily seen in his face that he was jealous. Beth was just too naïve to see it.

"Okay, guys," Mikayla said, rolling her eyes, "could you please warn me whenever you're going to do that? So I could at least close my eyes."

Scorpius chuckled. "Sorry, Palmer. Couldn't do that, it'll make things look fishy, if you know what I mean."

Mikayla rolled her eyes at him. "Right," she mumbled moodily.

"Anyway," Lily said, standing up, "it's time already. C'mon!"

Without warning, she grabbed Scorpius' hand and yanked him with surprising strength for a girl. Laughing, she dragged him towards the entrance hall where many others were lining up. The two of them joined the queue, Scorpius panting slightly.

"Merlin, woman!" he gasped. "You don't have to pull me like that! I'll come with you without violence, you know!"

Lily giggled. "Sorry, Scorpius. Couldn't resist…"

Just then, she noticed two people joining the queue behind them and flashed Beth a smirk. She glared at her as she winked at Adam flirtatiously. She saw him gulp nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing. Lily flashed him a dazzling, painful smile before turning to Scorpius.

"Poor boy," Scorpius muttered, glancing at Adam. "It's obvious he still got the hooks for you."

"Too bad for him, too good for me," Lily cooed in a singsong voice, beaming.

"You're evil, Lily."

"Nope. I'm just a woman with a bad need for revenge."

* * *

><p>"Where the bloody hell are you taking me?" Scorpius said as Lily began pushing roughly through the crowds of students in Hogsmeade.<p>

Lily flashed him a smile. "Wait 'til you see."

"Merlin, Lily, slow down!"

"Here we are."

They were standing outside what looked like a small, cozy tea shop. A sign hanging above in neat, cursive writing said _Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop_.

Scorpius blinked a few times, trying to register what he was seeing. Then, slowly, she turned to Lily, who was trying hard to fight a laugh.

"So?" she said tentatively. "What d'you think?"

"I think it's brilliant."

Lily's jaw dropped in shock. "Y-you…you w-what?"

"I said I think it's brilliant," he said again, smirking at her astonished look.

"Really? I was hoping it would annoy you."

"You're underestimating me," Scorpius said, pulling her inside the tea shop. "I've taken a couple of girls in here before."

"I could just imagine how many," she said dryly as they took a seat beside the shop window.

"Jealous?" he said, smirking.

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "In your dreams."

"You should be jealous, Lily," he said, leaning his head closer to her. She could already see the gold flecks on his silver orbs. "You're my _girlfriend_ now, after all."

"You know what, Scorpius?" Lily said, smirking slightly. "A girlfriend wouldn't be jealous by her boyfriend's exes…but that doesn't apply to us, does it? After all, we're not really—"

But he interrupted her by closing the distance between them, catching her lips on his. His lips felt incredible on hers that before she knew it, her hands were already cupping his smooth face, deepening the kiss. Despite that their relationship was merely 'friendship', it doesn't stop her to like the perks and snogging was definitely one of them.

After what seemed like a minute, they pulled away, both gasping for breath.

"Sorry, got to do that," Scorpius whispered in her ear. "The arses are inside. I could almost feel McLaggen glaring at me behind my back.

Sure enough, Lily saw Adam and Beth sitting a few tables in front of them. Beth had her back on Lily and Scorpius, but Adam sat there in full view, glaring at Scorpius' back.

Lily bit her lip. "Don't be sorry," she said in a low voice. "You don't see me complaining, do you?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "You're Lily Potter. Anytime, you could plan a revenge party hunting me down for kissing you." He smirked.

"Scorpius Malfoy, you shut up!" Lily said, laughing as she smacked Scorpius arm across the table. Everyone in the tea shop turned to look at them. A woman with black and streaks of gray hair came to their table, wearing a kind smile on her face. Lily knew who she was.

"Hey Madam Puddifoot," Lily said, smiling at the slightly old owner of the tea shop. "The usual, please."

"And you, dear?" Madam Puddifoot asked Scorpius.

"Jasmine tea," he answered, smiling. "And could you please spike a bit of wine?"

"Alright. Is there anything more you need?"

"Nope."

She turned to Lily. "I see your man was in another's hands right now."

"Yep," Lily said. "That happens." _Except that it wasn't often in your best friends hands_, she added as an afterthought.

"I'll be back in a minute."

"So," Scorpius said. "You know Madam Puddifoot?"

"Yep," Lily said. "Apparently, she knows who I am when I first got here."

His eyebrows rose. "Really? I would've thought you, of all people, wouldn't like to come here."

She gave him a look. "Just because I don't like a place doesn't mean I don't go there. Besides, Adam was the one who took me here and who was I to decline?"

"You really are confusing sometimes," he said.

She smirked. "Thought you were the first one who brought me here?"

He sighed. "Nope. I saw you here one time, although you probably didn't notice me back then."

"Let me guess?" Lily said dryly. "The git and I were snogging, weren't we?"

"Precisely."

Lily frowned. "Anyway, how come you noticed me, then?"

"Because of that red hair," he answered.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"No. I actually _love_ your hair, that's why I didn't like you putting it in a ponytail."

"If you say so…"

Just then, Madam Puddifoot came back with their tea. When she left, Lily caught full view of what Adam and Beth were doing. Snogging, that is.

"Ugh, I couldn't believe the nerve of them," Lily said, rolling her eyes. Scorpius turned around from his seat to look at what she was looking at and turned back to her.

"Lily," he said softly, leaning closer to her across the table and caught her lips once more. Lily felt her heart flutter. His lips were incredibly soft and gentle as it caressed hers. His right hand cupped her left cheek and she felt an unfamiliar tingle through her stomach at the contact. She never felt like this around him before but whatever it was, she liked it. No one ever kissed her that way, not even Adam. And more importantly, no one ever made her feel as special as Scorpius does but still keeping a friendship in tact.

Grabbing a fistful of his hair, she deepened the kiss and for the first time, slid her tongue inside him, twisting it in his. He responded immediately, his tongue tasting like honey on hers. Lily felt a sudden urge to kick off the table between them. That was probably the hormones talking.

After quite some time, they pulled away, both gasping for breath. After regaining her rhythm, Lily sipped on her tea at the same time as Scorpius. They were staring into each others eyes—hazel and silver—with a look that suggested more than friendship between them.

"So," Lily muttered, setting her cup of tea back on the table, "is that spiked?"

He nodded, licking his lips slightly and Lily felt a sudden urge to kiss it again. She mentally kicked herself for getting out of control.

"Does it calm the nerves?" she asked.

He smirked slightly. "Lily Potter, nervous of snogging me? Never thought I'd see that day happening," he said, handing her his own tea.

"Shut up," she said, taking a sip and feeling a bit warmer. "You might've forgotten but I'm _fifteen_. That meant I like snogging…way too much."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I forgot you're a hormonal fifteen year-old girl!" he teased.

Despite herself, Lily felt herself broke down in a fit of giggles. When they both calmed down, she said, "Seriously—shut up."

"Most definitely not," he said. "Anyway, I should compliment you. I never knew you could kiss like that."

Lily smiled slightly, feeling happy that they could still talk about things like kissing as if it was just as mundane as breakfast.

"I got a bit carried away," she admitted. "Like you said—I'm a hormonal fifteen year-old girl."

He chuckled. "Anyway," he said, leaning to whisper in her ear, "don't let _them_ get to you."

Lily smiled at him. "Of course not," she said. "You're here with me…_for_ me. You're always here for me during the past weeks. I don't know if I'd still be sane if not for you…"

He flashed her a lopsided smile. "Is that your way of saying 'thank you'?"

She smiled. "Yeah, definitely," she said. "You know me that much already!"

He chuckled. "How couldn't I if I spend at least three hours a day with you."

"Why the hell do you do that for me, anyway?" she asked before she could shut her mouth.

He didn't seem disturbed by the question, though. "Well, I like hanging out with you," he admitted, his eyes boring intensely on hers. "I feel comfortable when I'm with you."

"I could say the same."

They were silent for a moment, sipping their teas and occupied in their own, same thoughts. It was astounding how fast their relationship has taken. One moment, they were complete strangers, and the next, they were friends…with _some_ benefits.

Lily's eyes wandered around the tea shop. Everyone there were Hogwarts couples snogging and talking and laughing and flirting with each other. One couple, though, seemed to be arguing. By the meeting of his eyebrows and tightening of his jaw, it was clear that Adam was mad. His eyes had a slight cold look aimed at the woman in front of him. His mouth was opening and closing in what clearly was anger. It was plain even if one couldn't hear the words they were saying.

Suddenly, Beth got out of her seat and after a moment's hesitation, Adam followed her, not before his eyes raked over Lily's flushed face.

"Mmm," Scorpius mumbled, "looks like little Miss Rosewood's jealous of you. Your plan's definitely working."

Lily grinned. "_Our_ plan, Scorpius. And anyway, I don't want to linger that much, here. Let's go wander around the village."

The mischievous glint in her hazel eyes made Scorpius a bit hesitant.

"Exactly what kind of wandering do you have in mind?"

She beamed at him. "A kind of wandering that you'll definitely love."

Without warning, she pulled a Galleon from her pocket and put it on the table, pulling Scorpius' hand and dragging him out of the tea shop.

"Where the hell are you taking me, Lily?" Scorpius asked as she began pushing through crowds of people across the street.

She turned around and flashed him a mysterious beam before looking ahead again and leading him once more.

"Slow down a bit, woman!" Scorpius panted slightly, stopping Lily on her tracks. She pushed both of her hands on her shoulders and forced her to face him.

She gave him a mischievous smile. "Can't keep up with a girl?"

"Can't keep up with a _wild_ girl," he retaliated teasingly. "Honestly, you could take me to this place, wherever you're taking me, slowly?"

She shrugged. "You're such a sissy," she teased, smirking, "so sure."

"Don't think I'm going to let you get off that easily after calling me a _sissy_," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder as she started leading him once more.

"Oh, you're going to let me off," she said in a confident, singsong voice.

"Why is that?"

She flashed him a huge grin. "Because I'm cute!"

Both of them laughed, ignoring all the staring as usual. "Don't ever play giddy again!" Scorpius told her, laughing his head off, his arms shaking slightly around Lily's shoulder.

"Why is that?" she asked, repeating his earlier words, grinning,

"It doesn't suite you," he answered, shaking his head. "Sorry to say that you aren't good at something, Lils."

She blinked. "What did you say?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "That you aren't goo—"

"No," she cut in. "I meant 'you called me by what?'"

"By you're first name?" he answered in a questioning tone.

She frowned. "No, you didn't. You called me _Lils_."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Did I?"

"Yes," she said amusedly. "You just did."

"You must be really rubbing on me," he muttered. "I've never called you by your nickname before, haven't I?"

"Nope. There's always a first time for everything."

Just then, Lily stopped walking. They were outside a fenced, old, dingy house that had shrubs and trees surrounding it. It had boarded windows and doors and a creepy feeling about it.

Scorpius turned to look at her. "You've been to the Shrieking Shack before?" he asked curiously.

She smiled excitedly. "'Course I have. But I never tried to take this way in."

Without warning, Lily dragged Scorpius over the fence and they made their way towards the boarded up doors.

"It's creepy," Scorpius commented.

"Scared?" Lily asked in a teasing voice.

"In your face. So how do we get inside?"

She gave him a look. "What d'you think of us, Muggles? We'll use magic, of course."

Pulling her wand out of her pocket, she tapped the doorknob with it, muttering words under her breath. It opened.

"How did you open it?" Scorpius asked in an amazed voice. "I don't think you use the Alohomora Charm."

"I wouldn't use that because this lock is enchanted," she said, opening the door. "Ugh, it's dusty in here!" she said, flicking the lights on with a wave of her wand. She heard Scorpius close the door and looked around.

Scorpius' arms wrapped around her once again and she gave him a look.

"You don't have to wrap me in your arms, now," she pointed out hesitantly. "We're not in view of people."

"Right," he said, and quickly removed his arms from her, putting his hands in his pocket. Lily noticed a slight edge on his voice that made her look around.

"Er, Scorpius?"

He turned to face her but wouldn't meet her eyes. "Mmm?"

"Sorry."

"For what?"

She sighed. "For almost saying that you're just a showman in my show, which you are not."

"I'm not—"

"Look," she cut in," I know you're going to tell me you aren't mad but I don't and won't believe you. I'm just saying that you've got a condition since the beginning of this…this ironic relationship between us so I guess we should just…keep things _friendly_ between the two of us…"

He nodded. "So why did you take me here?" he asked suddenly.

She smiled at the change of subject. "I thought it would amuse you."

"Why did you think that?"

"Because why the hell would Scorpius Malfoy come to this creepy place and dirty himself?" she teased. "He's too precious to do such a thing."

He smirked. "You're probably right. I _am_ precious."

"Don't let that get in your head," she muttered, leading him to the upper floors. They went inside a room. It was full of scratches and bites everywhere—the desk, the bed, the floor and the chairs.

"Do you know who lived here a long time ago?" Lily asked.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scorpius nodded. "Remus Lupin, the werewolf."

"Yeah…this must be a really awful place to live in…"

She walked around, touching the surfaces of the walls and shuddering. _Teddy's father lived a hell here…_

He watched her, growing more and more confused about her and him at the moment.

Hesitantly, he walked towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"C'mon, let's go before you faint," he said softly and she nodded.

* * *

><p>"Where do we go now?" Scorpius asked as they headed back to the main streets of Hogsmeade.<p>

"Let's just meet Mikayla now," Lily answered.

They were holding hands again, but it wasn't just for the 'show'. It gave her comfort. It gave him peace of mind.

They went inside the Three Broomsticks and found Mikayla already there, surrounded by Hugo and the other fifth year Gryffindors.

"Hey, guys," Lily said, pulling Scorpius to take a seat beside her. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the company surrounding them.

"You're early," Mikayla commented.

"You're early, too," Lily mused. "How come?"

"It's hard to keep her entertained," Hugo answered dryly. "Honestly, we were at the bookshop for about an hour. If only I didn't promise to you, Lily, I swear—"

"Hugo," Lily cut in, "there's this thing called 'tact'." She glared at him and he flinched, the tips of his ears getting redder and redder at each moment.

"It's fine, Lils," Mikayla said. "I did it on purpose…boring them, that is."

"Why?" Lily asked her. What has gotten with Mikayla?

"I'm frustrated that you left me alone so I tried to vent out my frustration on _them_…sorry."

"Anyway," Hugo said, standing up from his seat, "we're going now."

"Whatever," Lily said, rolling her eyes. The other boys followed Hugo outside. "You didn't tell me you were _that_ frustrated," she told Mikayla when the others were out of earshot.

"Sorry, I just…I've…er, I have my _time of the month_," she mumbled. Scorpius gave them both a confused glanced by they didn't need to elaborate more.

"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry!" Lily apologized. "You should've told me! That's what with your sour mood."

Mikayla sighed. "Yeah, well…you know how irritable I get during these times…"

"I'm blank in here," Scorpius muttered. "What in the name of Merlin are you girls talking about?"

Mikayla couldn't help but giggle. Lily laughed out loud. "I swear," she said, "you don't want to know. _Ever_."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"It's girl stuff."

"Oh. Okay, don't tell."

"Anyway," Mikayla said, "I'll just grab us some butterbeers." She stood up from her seat, leaving Lily and Scorpius alone on the table.

"So," Lily said, "are you planning on staying with us or going to where your friends are?"

"I'll just stay," he said, shrugging.

Just then, two people entered the pub—Adam and Beth.

"Merlin, I didn't plan on seeing those two the entire day," Lily muttered.

"Don't worry, there's no need to snog every time they're here," Scorpius said.

She sighed. "Yes, but still…"

"They anger you. I know that," Scorpius said.

Adam stared at Lily before taking a seat beside Beth. Beth, on the other hand, glared at her fiercely. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I wanted her to be jealous," Lily whispered in Scorpius' ear, "but I don't like her being all too pathetic."

Scorpius chuckled. "Yeah, she does look pathetic. Who in their right mind would get _so_ attached to McLaggen?"

Lily smiled slyly in agreement. Beth suddenly stood up from her seat and went straight towards Lily, her face creased in a mixture of frustration and annoyance. Lily raised a cool eyebrow at her.

"You're in the wrong side of the pub," Lily said bluntly the moment Beth was standing directly in front of her. Scorpius wrapped an arm automatically around her shoulder.

"Stop playing games with me, Lily," Beth said. "I know you're making Adam jealous by dating him." She nodded a head towards Scorpius, who stared impassively at the two girls.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lily answered coolly. "Am I not allowed to date people other than gits nowadays?"

"Adam's not a git," Beth said through gritted teeth. "Look, I'm sorry that I had a better relationship than you had with him. Just stop trying to get him back."

Lily laughed derisively. "Oh, so you had a _better_ relationship than I had with him, but somewhere in that sentence, I sensed that he wanted me back with him again."

"So I'm right, you _are_ trying to get him back!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Look, _woman_, I want McLaggen back as a boyfriend as much as I wanted you back as a best friend—which means zero out of one hundred."

Tears started to glisten in Beth's eyes but she quickly wiped them away, saying, "Don't you want to patch things up between us?"

"Of course," Lily said slowly and added, "_not_. So please just get out of my sight. Even a blind man could tell I'm getting sick by just seeing you."

With one last helpless look, Beth turned away and walked back to their table, into Adam's arms.

"Really, Lily," Scorpius said, "you could've passed as a Slytherin."

Lily sighed. "Look, let's talk about anything else right now—anything other than me being cruel or harsh."

"How about you being all too fun and amusing to be with?" he said, grinning.

Lily giggled. "Let me rephrase: Let's talk about anything other than _me_."

He chuckled. "How about…let's just drink butterbeer," he said as Mikayla sat back down on her seat, setting three bottles of butterbeer on the table. Lily took a sip and felt warm instantly.

"So," Mikayla said, "I saw Beth came over here. What did she say?"

But before Lily could answer, Albus appeared.

"Hey, Mikayla," he said, smiling at her. "Would you…uh, care to join me and my friends over there? It's just that my friend Lucas…er, you know."

"Oh," she mumbled, sneaking a glance at Lily, who was sensing trouble. She gave her friend a look that says, _Go with him_. "Alright," she finally said, standing up from her seat and following Albus to their table.

"Blimey," Lily muttered under her breath. _Please don't pretend to like Lucas_, Lily thought desperately, glancing at her best friend.

"Does she like Potter?" Scorpius said, startling her from her thoughts.

"Er—what?"

"Palmer," he said. "Does he like Potter? Your brother, I mean?"

She sighed. "How did you know?"

"It's just the way he looked at him," he said, shrugging.

"Yes, she likes my brother, meaning—"

"Another trouble for both of you if she ended up going with that Lucas bloke," he said, finishing her sentence.

"Exactly," Lily said, downing the rest of her butterbeer.

"And it looks like she does," Scorpius said, nodding towards Mikayla and the guy named Lucas walking out of the pub together.

"Why does she have to put herself in the same situation as mine in reverse?" Lily muttered in frustration, grabbing Scorpius' butterbeer and downing the rest of it. "Merlin, I'm angry at my brother!" she exclaimed and without warning, she grabbed Scorpius' face and kissed him succulently on the lips. Taken aback, it took him a few seconds before responding.

When she pulled away, Scorpius stared at her. "What did you just do that for?" he asked hoarsely.

Lily shrugged. "Al gets angry when he sees me snogging someone. Sorry, I just felt the need to do that. A blind could see clearer than my brother."

Scorpius turned around. "Oh, I see."

"Yep," Lily said, biting her lip. "You know what?"

Scorpius turned back to her. "I know _what_?"

"Isn't this the most ironic, eccentric date you've been in to?" she said, grinning.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "This is definitely eccentric."

* * *

><p><em>I hope you like it. I've got a busy week and I'm really tired, so sorry for the errors and everything. I know this isn't my best chapter but I <em>did_ my best…I hope you'll all be patient with me. Senior year at high school is getting on my nerves and I've got to keep up good grades and everything…and there's a math quiz bee coming so I ought to study…and I kind of rushed this, if you didn't notice…_

_Anyway, thanks for reading! **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	5. Confused

_Thanks—**Your Biggest Fan, Bucky5, Gonewiththerain09, Rusichan, Huntress3419**—for reviewing the last chapter. A really, really big thanks! I could kiss you right now :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5—Confused<strong>

October came with more rain and less sun. Most students confined themselves inside their warm common rooms after classes. Lily and Mikayla sat on the armchairs by the fire, doing their Transfiguration essay.

"So how's the Lucas thing going?" Lily asked her friend without looking up from her parchment.

"It's great," Mikayla said in a high-pitched voice. "He _is_ great."

"You know, that was really a stupid thing to do," Lily said bluntly. "You fancy my brother for years, and now, you go out with his mate? That's ridiculous."

"Are 'you making Adam jealous by fake-dating Scorpius' not ridiculous?" Mikayla said in a low voice.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Nope. I know Adam. It works for him. Not for my brother, though. He's really, really thick. He wouldn't know you like him even if you spell it for him in bold letters."

"It might work," Mikayla insisted stubbornly.

Lily sighed. "I never thought I'd see that day when Mikayla Palmer will _use_ someone to get what she wanted."

"I'm not using him!" Mikayla hissed. "He's…cute. He's fun and has a sense of humor."

"Yeah right," Lily muttered sarcastically. "Like you would say otherwise."

"You should be on my side," Mikayla said.

Lily sighed. "I _am_. I just think you made the wrong move. Look, if it really worked—and I think it won't— what would you look like if you dated my brother after breaking up with his best mate? And what would happen to both of them if _that_ happens? They might fight, you know. Blokes tend to do that."

With that, Mikayla had no response.

* * *

><p>On the first Saturday of the month, Rose and Liam called for a prefect meeting. They met up at the prefect's conference room on the fifth floor at eight o'clock in the evening.<p>

"Is everyone here?" Rose asked as we all took seats. Just then, Claudine Selwyn entered the room with one sneering glance at Lily. She looked oddly cheerful for Lily's liking.

"Okay, everyone, settle down," Liam said. "We're going to discuss the Halloween feast, the decorations, and stuff. Any suggestions?"

"How about if we hold a party?" Lily said. "I mean a Halloween party. You know, people dressing up in costumes or dresses, instead of just the usual feast."

Liam grinned. "That would be great! We'll ask permission to McGonagall."

"That means extra work for us, isn't it?" Therese Pritchard moaned.

Rose went over to her and faced her. "If you want to keep that badge, you're working with us whether you like it or not."

"And what if McGonagall didn't approve of Potter's stupid suggestion?" Pritchard retaliated.

Rose gave her a twisted smile. "Let's just say that she won't not approve," she said and went back to continuing the meeting.

Lily couldn't help but giggle and Scorpius joined in, both of them hiding their faces to avoid attention.

* * *

><p>Monday afternoon found Lily sitting in the Potions classroom at the dungeons. She was in an especially bad mood. The teacher—Professor Shale—put them all into pairs. He buoyantly paired Lily with none other than Beth. Lily thought he was clueless, insane, pathetic and…well, <em>clueless<em>. Who in their right mind would pair Lily and Beth again? The whole school knows that they turned, from _best friends_, to _worst_ _enemies_.

"Hey," Beth said, taking the seat Mikayla just vacated. She was working with Hugo.

"If your idea of joke was asking Professor Shale to pair up with me, then I hate you more than I hate you yesterday," Lily said nonchalantly.

"I didn't—"

But Lily wasn't listening. Looking down, she turned her book to the page where the Strengthening Solution instruction was and started gathering ingredients on the store cupboard. When she returned, there was cauldron was already set. Beth lit it, but Lily didn't argue. Instead, she began throwing ingredients into the cauldron.

"Can I help with something?" Beth asked her in a small voice.

"You can," Lily answered, looking up at her, "if you want us to receive a Troll as a grade, because you and I both know that the only thing you could do right in Potions is putting fire under the cauldron."

She turned back to working with the ingredients, trying hard to ignore Beth in her presence.

"Look," Beth said after a while, "I know you're mad at me for everything—"

"And you're absolutely right," Lily cut in, not bothering to look up at her.

"Please just let me finish," Beth said. Lily didn't say anything so she continued. "You're mad at me. I get it. But could we please act a little more…_civilized_, even just during classes?"

Lily looked up. "You're probably right," she said coolly. _But that doesn't stop me hating you_, she added as an afterthought. "Pass the Salamander blood, _Rosewood_."

Beth flinched. Lily wasn't sure if it was because she called her by her last name or because she was making her pass the Salamander blood. Lily knew all too well that Beth was scared at the sight of blood. Her hand was shaking as she passed it to Lily.

"Thank you," Lily said, giving her a fake smile and continued working again.

"So, you and Malfoy—"

"Is totally none of your business," Lily cut in sharply. "We're trying to be civilized here, and it's really, _really_ hard on my side, believe me. It wouldn't help my tolerance if you try prying on my personal life."

With that, Beth didn't say anything. At all. For the rest of the class.

Lily was glad when it all ended.

* * *

><p>After classes, Lily and Scorpius met up after classes on afternoon. Lily was quiet all the while and Scorpius noticed.<p>

"So," Scorpius said, "I see, you're here, but you're not really here."

Lily looked at him. "What?"

"You're just too…_preoccupied_. I've never seen you like it."

She sighed. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine," he said, smiling lopsidedly. "Anyway, guess what?"

"What?"

"Liam told me that McGonagall approved of the request to have a Halloween party, as long as it was a _ball_, not a costume party," he said, grinning broadly.

"Ball?" she repeated questioningly. "Well, that's…_marvelous_. I'm sure many girls will find that romantic."

She turned around once again to face the Lake.

Scorpius sighed. "I was going to ask you out, you know," he said and Lily looked at him again, an expression of surprise on her face. "But it's not a good idea to ask you when you're like this."

Lily smiled at him. "That actually cheered me up a bit," she said, touching the back of his hand. "At least you asked me out because I don't think anyone will ask me since I've got a _fake_ boyfriend. But I think there's no need for you to ask me out since everyone will exchange rumors if we went with a different date."

He chuckled and stood up. "Well, just make sure you're gonna be beautiful, okay?"

"Of course," she said. "I don't have to make an effort, though. I'm already beautiful, am I not?" She grinned at him. "At least I've got a gorgeous partner."

He shrugged. "If you say so…"

"Doesn't the gorgeous man want to find a more beautiful woman to date?" Lily teased.

"Maybe," he muttered mysteriously.

Lily was about to argue but he suddenly stood up, making his way back to the castle, leaving Lily wondering why he suddenly left.

* * *

><p>"Hey Mikayla," Lily said, interrupting her friend and her boyfriend. The two were laughing their heads off in the common room couch. "Hey Lucas. Can I talk to her for a sec?"<p>

He smiled. "Sure."

Mikayla stood up from the couch and gave Lily a look. "Is there anything you need?"

"Do I have to need something to talk to you?" Lily snapped and sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry. And yes, I do need something from you. Come on."

Without warning, Lily grabbed her hand and led her out of the common room and inside the last empty class room along the corridor.

"So?" Mikayla said.

Lily closed the door."So…I'm having a…problem."

"I surmised as much. What is it?"

"Please don't get mad at me but...I think I'm…I'm…"

"Spit it out!"

"Okay, here's the thing—could you see how incredibly attractive Scorpius is?"

Mikayla gave her a look. "Yes?"

"And could you see how easy things are between us?"

"I think I could see where this is heading," Mikayla mumbled, "but—yes, I could see that both of you are really comfortable together."

"And do you think many women will chase after him the moment I pushed him away?"

"Of course."

"And…and, do you think _he _wants _me_ to push him away so….so…"

"So what?" Mikayla said.

Lily sighed. "So he could sort of…find someone else."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I'm trying to figure out what he wants to do! He might've been forced to do this because of me!" Lily exclaimed breathlessly.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Mikayla sighed in relief.

Lily gave her a look. "What in the name of Godric are you talking about?"

"For one moment, I thought you were telling me that you're starting to fall for him," Mikayla said.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not," Lily said defensively. "I'm just a concerned _friend_. That's all."

"Really?"

"Yep. Really, really."

"Okay, then. Well, I don't think he has problems with the dating thingy with you. Why did you even think of that?"

Lily shrugged. "Nothing. Well, he suddenly left me when we were talking…"

"What did he look like before he left?" Mikayla asked. "Did he look…angry?"

"No. He was smirking."

Mikayla rolled her eyes. "Then there's no problem at all, then. I think you're just freaking out."

"Er, a-am I?" Lily stuttered, blushing.

With that, Mikayla couldn't help giggling.

* * *

><p>The next day, the news about the coming Halloween Ball was already spread around the school. Girls in particular talked about it everywhere. Most of them got all giggly and girly whenever a boy passes them and Lily thought they were just hoping to be asked out by someone before all the good ones were out. Some girls asked the boys out instead of the other way around. Mikayla thought it was rather brave of them. Lily thought they were desperate.<p>

"Honestly," Lily said, rolling her eyes, "I'd rather just go alone than ask a bloke. I could go on my own, for all I care."

"Still, it's really bold of them to ask boys," Mikayla muttered in awe. "I might've hyperventilated before I could even get a word out if I asked someone."

"You mean Albus," Lily muttered under her breath.

"What's that?"

"Nothing," Lily said.

Mikayla gave her a look but let it slide. "So, are the prefects gonna arrange this ball?"

"Who else?" Lily said. "Of course, we will. We've still got about three weeks to set it up. So that means less team practices but more prefect duties. I couldn't even tell which is worse."

"Quidditch practice," Mikayla said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You say that because you don't like flying. I get it."

"Well, just because you're a better flyer—"

"Hey Lily," someone said behind them. Lily turned around. It was her cousin.

"Hi Rose. Do you need anything?"

"Yes, actually," Rose said. "We're gathering all prefects tonight at the Great hall after dinner. We're going to start the preparations early. Sorry for the late notice."

Lily smiled. "No, it's fine. I'll be there."

"Thanks, Lils. See you later."

"Yeah, bye."

Lily turned back to Mikayla. "Well, this'll be an interesting evening."

* * *

><p>Eight o'clock in the evening found all prefects gathered in the Great Hall. Timothy Fields, the other Gryffindor prefect in Lily's year, was babbling excitedly beside her but she wasn't listening. She was busy musing about why Scorpius seemed to be avoiding her. She didn't see him all day except at meals and this time. He didn't even approach her but talked to another Slytherin prefect.<p>

"Okay, stop talking," Lily said irritably to Timothy, who stopped his rant at once. "Could you just…just shut it for a moment?"

"So you and Malfoy having problems, then?" he said and Lily glared at him.

"I said shut it."

"Okay, okay. I was just asking, but I guess I know the answer now, anyway."

"Yeah, you would know because you're an expert with relationships," Lily said sarcastically. Timothy was known to be rejected by loads of girls in the past, Lily included.

She turned away from him, towards an empty space where no one would bother her.

"Okay, everyone, listen up!" Rose said to everyone. "We'll split up our duties, okay. Fifth years, you do the east walls, sixth years, the west, and seventh, the south. This is how you're doing it."

She flicked her wand a similar pieces of parchments flew towards each of us, bearing a complicated design that really fitted for a Halloween ball. It had scary creatures for Halloween that were made elegant to match for a ball.

"Okay everyone, we have an hour to do this. Don't rush it up or you'll ruin it," Liam said over the crowd and everyone scattered at once to do their jobs.

Lily went over to the corner of the rightmost wall and started charming the wall. It wasn't that easy because the wall was too big compared to her. And everything had to be perfect. It didn't help that Scorpius was ignoring her presence.

"So do you think you could do my job for me, Potter?" Claudine Selwyn said to her, showing Lily her hands. "I'm a bit tired…" She smirked.

Lily gripped her wand tightly, willing herself to not lose her temper.

"Sorry, Selwyn but you look more like a house-elf than I do," Lily said, smiling sickly. "But oh, I forgot you couldn't do the job because you're rotten in using magic, when a house-elf, on the other hand, is pretty great."

Selwyn glared at her. "You might want to keep your fat mouth shut, Potter. I might just not be able to keep mine silent and break your poor little heart." She smirked and turned away.

Lily rolled her eyes, although she felt bad about what Selwyn said. Does it have anything to do with Scorpius? Sure, she didn't have any claim at him but still…bloody Selwyn didn't deserve him. Her heart was beating hard and fast against her chest. What if Scorpius liked Selwyn? That could be the reason why he was avoiding her…

"Hey."

Someone tapped her shoulder, startling her from her reverie. Turning around, she saw that it was Scorpius.

"Done avoiding me?" were the first words that came out of her mouth.

"Er, so you noticed," he mumbled. "I see."

Lily crossed her arms. "What have I done wrong now?"

"Nothing," he sighed. "It had nothing to do with you."

"So why were you avoiding me, then?"

"It was nothing," he said again. "I just had some things in my mind."

Lily nodded, not wanting to pry. "Okay…we're fine, then?"

"Yeah, of course," he said in a breathy voice that was very unlike him. Again, she decided to let it slide.

"So, how's your day?" she asked.

"Slow, 'cause you weren't with me," he answered, grinning slightly.

She smiled. "Shut up."

He chuckled. "Anyway, I noticed you biting that other prefect's head off."

"You mean, Timothy? Well, he couldn't stop talking so I figured I should shut him up."

"Poor bloke. I think he likes you, though."

"Huh?"

"Well, he looked really uncomfortable around you," he said.

"You noticed that, huh?" she said disbelievingly.

He shrugged. "Yep, I guess so."

"Well, he asked me once last year," Lily told him. "I said no, though."

"Why? He looks fine to me," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "He's like a duck that doesn't stop quacking."

He laughed. "Honestly Lily, you've got a very, _very_ sharp tongue."

She shook her head, smiling. "Nope. I'm just incredibly honest. Even I surprise myself sometimes at how frank I could be."

"That's why you amaze me," he said, grinning.

"Yeah—me being rudely straightforward is really amazing," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, it is," he teased.

Lily grinned slightly. "Anyway, you're still going to that wretch ball with me, aren't you?"

He frowned. "Why are you asking?"

"Nothing," she said. "I just felt something was a bit…off…"

He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Er, yes, I'm still going with you."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "Really? You know you could tell me if you're seeing someone else other than _fake_ right now. As in, _now_."

"No, I'm not," he said. "Look, can we talk about something else?"

It took a few seconds for Lily to respond. She sighed. "Okay, okay."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Scorpius!" Lily shouted over the crowd of Slytherins. It was Friday already and the Slytherin team was having their team practice.<p>

"Hey, Lily," Scorpius said, catching up with her. "Sorry, we finished practice late."

"Don't be sorry. You're not forced to spend time with me every moment. I know that at some point, you might be getting sick of my presence."

"A bit," he said playfully.

"Yeah, well," Lily mumbled, "I'm getting sick of your presence, actually."

"What?" he said quickly, his eyes widening.

She grinned. "Kidding!"

He shook his head, chuckling. "You're such a…a pretty little liar."

She winked at him. "Yep. I'm _pretty_. Well, prettier than pretty, actually…"

He bit his lip, holding back a laugh. "Well, girls really are complicated."

"Boys are more complicated, actually," she countered. "You'll never know if he's being a gentleman to get into your _fancy_ or _knickers_. And," she continued before he could say something, "boys tend to be all manly and keep their feelings at bay. I rarely see a bloke cry."

"That's because we don't like to complicate things."

"Well, that makes it more complicated because we'll never know how you're feeling," she said. "And that's because boys don't like to be seen all too sappy and hooked with a girl, and you don't want to seem like a girl."

He shook his head, smirking. "Okay, shut up now. Why are we talking about these things, anyway?"

She shrugged, smiling. "I don't know, but we always talk about random things so…how about if we talk about the weather?"

"Mmm…it seems nice," he said lamely.

Lily rolled her eyes. "How about let's not talk about the weather?"

He grinned. "Perfect. Let's talk about you."

"What about me?"

He shrugged. "How many guys have you dated?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That's your first question? Not interested about my favorite…flower or something?"

"I bet your favorite flower's lily."

She smiled. "'Course, it is. Anyway, I've only dated three people, one of which is sort of _fake-ish_."

He grinned at her. "So who's the other one? Aside from McLaggen and Scorpius the fake-ish, that is?"

She smirked. "Well, it was Harvey Fairview. Ravenclaw. We only lasted about less than two months. I don't actually remember that much because he was my first and it was back on third year."

"Whoa, I thought you would've had loads of boyfriends already."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm don't date everyone who offers, you know. Do you?"

He smirked. "'Course not."

"But you've dated a lot of girls already," she mused.

"Yep. But I choose who to date, of course."

"How many are they, exactly?" she asked hesitantly.

He thought for a moment and said, "Seven, not including you because we're not…like that."

"Seven, huh?" she muttered. "Not bad…I thought it would be like thirteen or something like that."

He pretended to look offended. "Do I look that…_flirty_?"

Lily laughed at his choice of word. "Yep. Definitely flirty…But you look more like a woman's man than—"

But she was suddenly cut off because he interrupted her with a kiss. She was caught on guard, but responded, nonetheless. Her heart started racing against her chest and she tried her best to ignore it, willing herself to think that it was only her teenage hormones...but the problem was she couldn't think of anything else other than the soft pair of lips caressing hers. Her mind was getting dizzy when he pulled away.

"Sorry," he said in a breathless voice that made her gulp. He had never been as ruffled and dazed as this whenever they kissed. It was almost as if he felt the same thing that Lily did—that fluttery, warm feeling. "McLaggen was coming here so…"

Lily nodded but didn't say a word. She couldn't find her voice and fearing that things might've started changing between them.

* * *

><p>It was Sunday and Lily was sitting on the windowsill, watching the rain pounding against the castle outside. The sound felt comfortable in her ears no matter how loud it was. It helped her clear her head. She had too many things in mind.<p>

First, there were the OWLs. It was getting harder and harder, no matter how clever or skillful she was. Second, there were Quidditch practices. Albus insisted on soaking them all in the rain. Third, there was her plan on making Adam jealous. It was _really_ getting out of hand and she was starting to think whether or not she and Scorpius could keep being friends when they kept kissing each other at random moments. Even holding hands was getting more to her than it had at first. And then, there was Mikayla.

Mikayla started seeing Lucas more and more often than she saw Lily. Not only was Lily annoyed at her best friend for deserting her, but she could also see that Mikayla wasn't really in to Lucas.

She didn't know how to deal with her best friend's problem as well. She had a lot on her mind already without the thought of Mikayla going out with Lucas even though she fancies Albus. It was stupid for such an intelligent student. Then again, Mikayla wasn't in to romantic relationships in the first place.

Lily did the only thing she could to deal with it—avoiding Mikayla. Not necessarily avoid her every time, but only when she's with Lucas and company. She'd rather be alone than see her friend's squirm on where she put herself.

"Um, hi," someone said, removing her from her reverie. It was girl who looked like a third year. "You're Lily, right?"

Lily nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"Someone asks for you outside."

Lily jumped from the windowsill and smiled at the girl. "Thanks."

She made a beeline towards the portrait hole, not once glancing at Adam and Beth cuddling on the corner, or even Mikayla surrounded by Lucas and his friends.

She wasn't surprised to see Scorpius outside. She expected it. Who else from another House would want to see her here?

"Hey," she said quietly, closing the door. She tried so hard to block _that_ kiss that suddenly repeated before her eyes. Shaking her head, she said, "What's up?" She frowned. Scorpius looked quite nervous and wouldn't look her straight in the eye. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, a little too quickly for Lily to believe him. She gave him a look. "Okay, there is something," he sighed.

"Come on," she said, leading him to an empty classroom. Closing the door shut, she said, "Talk."

She stared straight into his eyes, willing to get the truth out of him. After a few seconds, he cracked.

"My parents," he said in a barely audible voice. "They know about us…"

"About what? About _this_?"

He nodded. "Yes."

She frowned. "So?"

"So, I'm a _Malfoy_!" he said, loudly this time. "I'm a bloody Malfoy and I've got to do what I'm expected to do!"

Lily was taken aback by the sudden edge to his voice. Slowly, she approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder and gently pushing him down a seat. He obliged immediately, breathing heavily.

"What did they say?" she asked softly. She couldn't see his face because his head was bowed down, but she was sure that his face was pale and creased in anger.

It took him a minute to answer. "My father said I should stop playing games with you," he said through gritted teeth. Lily felt her heart racing. She put Scorpius in more trouble than she anticipated.

"And he said," Scorpius continued, "that he found someone I could marry. A bloody pureblood, I'm sure."

Her throat was dry. "What the—he couldn't do that to his son, could he? I mean...it's the twenty first century. That's too…old-fashioned and...stupid."

Scorpius looked up at her, a soft expression on his face. "I'm glad you understand, Lily," he said. "I couldn't talk about it with Hayden. His parents are also in to the pureblood rubbish."

"I'm sorry," Lily said. "If I haven't appeared in your life, you might not have been in this situation."

"Believe me, they'll find a way on betrothing me to a pureblood even without you in the picture," he said.

She sighed. "So…where does this take us?"

He shrugged. "I want to keep things as they are."

She looked at him. His gray eyes looked serious. She almost melted at his gaze. Suddenly, she felt her stomach do a flip, her heart racing against her chest.

"Lily," he said in a soft voice and she couldn't help but feel warm at the sound of it. "I—I wanted to tell you that…" He gulped.

Lily felt her heart racing. "Tell me what?" she said in a hoarse whisper.

He blinked and seemed to make up his mind. "Nothing," he mumbled. "Just forget about it."

She frowned. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "I…I can't tell you yet…not until I'm sure."

She sighed in frustration but nodded, nonetheless. "Okay. Do you want to stay here for a while?"

"Only if you'll stay with me…"

"Of course, I will," she said.

They were silent for a moment. Lily didn't know what to tell him. Could she tell him she was sorry about his situation? He wouldn't like her pity, would he? Could she tell him they should break things off between them—their friendship-relationship—so she could give him space? Would he want that? There was only one way to find out.

"Scorpius…"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can."

She sighed. "Do you want to…?" She took a deep breath. "Do you want to break things off with me?" she said hesitantly. "I think you might need some…_space_…at the moment, so you could work things out. I just figured…you've already done too much for me." She bit her lip, fearing his reaction.

"You're probably right," he said nonchalantly and she looked up fearfully at him. "I've already done too much for _you_."

"Scorpius, I didn't mean it that—"

"Maybe it's time you do something for _me_," he cut in. "How about trying to be honest just this once? No pretense, no fake issues. What am I to you, Lily?"

"Stop being all dramatic—"

"See, you're avoiding the question!" he cut in sharply. "You could be incredibly honest, Lily, but not with your feelings."

"Oh god, Scorpius, I'm confused!" she burst out. "I don't know what to make of you! And how the hell am I supposed to tell you what _you_ are to me if you don't even tell me what _I_ am to you?"

"Look who's being dramatic!"

"Look who's avoiding the question!" she snapped back. "Scorpius, what have I said that…that _irked_ you so much? I just asked you if you wanted to break off this stupid—this stupid _commitment_ you put yourself in and then, you snap at me! I was trying to figure out if that's what you want! Damn it, Scorpius, I don't know what to do with you and your constant mood swings!"

"It's just _you_!" he exclaimed. "You're driving me crazy!"

"You're my _friend_!" she reiterated. "That's what you are to me! Or maybe I thought you were. I guess you're not. Maybe you've never been and I just deluded myself into believing that you were."

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop talking like I never cared about you!"

She was shaking violently and couldn't yell anymore. "I know you cared about me," she said in a quiet voice. "But I just…I couldn't understand you right now. I mean…"

"Spit it out!"

She glared at him. "Okay, fine. Tell me that you aren't going to marry Selwyn."

That shut him up.

"Oh Merlin, you are," she whispered, shuddering.

"Did she tell you?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Lily shook her head. "No. But she gave me a hint that…that something might break my heart…So, it's true, then?"

He nodded.

"And you'll do something about it?" she asked, fearing for his answer.

"I'm of age," he said. "But…I don't want to…I don't want to…"

"I see. You don't want to disappoint your father," Lily said, finally understanding. "So, this means I'm going to have to find another date for the ball, right?"

"Lily, it doesn't have to be—"

"Scorpius," she cut in, "we could still be friends after this…but not right now. Look, I'm making things easy for you…You could go with Selwyn. I'm not supposed to fall in love with you, after all. I guess it'll make things better between us if we could be _proper_ friends after this. No kissing, no holding hands, nothing intimate. Just friends."

She bit her lip. _Friends_. Somehow, it felt like something alien to her—being friends with him and _just_ friends. Without the other _things_ that friends don't normally do. How would it feel like to not hold his hand or kiss his soft lips again?

It took him a few seconds to respond.

"Okay," he said quietly. "But I'm not going with anyone that isn't you."

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Lily more confused and emotional than she ever felt before. She wasn't sure she could trust her feelings with Scorpius anymore.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys, I didn't plan on making this chapter a bit dramatic. I'm just having an 'emotional' time of my own. I'm fifteen, I like someone, and that someone is also a friend of mine. My best friend sort of told me that<em> that someone_ likes me, and I don't know what to do. I like being his friend but I like him, too, so now I'm under stress…especially when he comes over my seat during class and teases me or asks me about math, and when he and a couple of my other boy classmates went over my house this week and I couldn't help looking over at him, and I couldn't help mentally hitting myself when I stupidly declined him asking me to play chess with him or join him on eating…_

_Okay, I'm going to stop ranting now. Look, this really blows my head (and my 'emotional cord') off because I don't like drama but this chapter sort of reflects my life right now… Please don't tell me I'm pathetic because I've told that myself loads of times already. And that's also the reason why I haven't updated faster I intended. I could hardly write anything until now…and sorry for the typos, I'm not myself while writing this…_

**_Thanks for reading. Please review_**_…might help me in ways more than one… :)_


	6. It's Complicated

_Thanks—**Your Biggest Fan, MinnesotaHPlover, VeronicaPink, pielover28, Rusichan, luvEclipse, Mrs. DracoMalfoy, lexi427, hushpuppy22, Gonewiththerain09, -SnowflakeBeautiful-, Del, PandaOren95, xxDeadInsidexx, bellibella, NO **and** kana117**—for your reviews. _

_Especially _those_ who added some really useful advices added on their reviews! A REALLY, _REALLY_, BIG THANKS! I'm in love with you, guys. Seriously, I'm not kidding. :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6—It's Complicated<br>**

It took Lily a couple of minutes to snap back to reality. Slowly, she made her way towards the door, to the corridor, and back to the portrait hole. Sighing, she entered and made her way back towards the window sill at the corner of the room.

She didn't cry, though. They could still be friends, maybe after a couple of days, weeks, or maybe months, but there's still a possibility—a possibility she was clinging dearly into. Was that what she wanted, though? Just friends? Her mind was spinning, and for once, Lily Potter couldn't think clearly. She wasn't sure how to deal with this. She was used to the uncomplicated, unthinkable, unserious life. But it looked like her life was a lot complicated, thinkable and serious right now—the entire opposite of what it used to be.

"Hey Lils."

Lily looked up. It was Albus.

"Hey Al, what's up?" Lily said, faking a smile.

Albus knew her all too well, though, and frowned. "Anything wrong?"

"Nope," she said. "Everything's perfectly fine."

"And you think I'd believe that?" her brother countered.

"No," she said dryly. "Of course you won't. You're a nosy git who knows it all."

He sighed. "You could tell me your problems, Lils. I'm not just a random Gryffindor who roams around here. I'm your brother."

"Have you ever confided anything personal to me?" Lily said before she could help it.

"So this is something personal, isn't it?" he mused. "Does it have anything to do with Malfoy?"

She gave him a look. "My life is pretty complicated right now, so don't try to pry it out of me. And don't hurt Scorpius because he's got the same problem as I do now."

He sighed. "Well, could I have a brotherly-sisterly time with my little sister, then?" he said.

Lily smiled. She was taken aback by the sudden sweetness in her brother. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Trying to make me feel better."

He chuckled. "It's sort of my duty, you know," he said. "And anyway, what better brotherly-sisterly time could we do than—"

"Quidditch," Lily said knowingly.

"Exactly!" Albus assented.

Lily sighed. "Look at the window, Al. It's raining really, _really_ hard. I don't want to get sick on top of school, prefect duties, and Quidditch practices, you know."

Albus sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll just leave you to your thoughts."

Lily smiled at her brother. "Thanks for the thought, though. That has to count for something."

He shrugged. "Well, if you need anything, you always have a brother around to call."

"Sure thing."

Albus went back to his mates at the other side of the room. Lily really appreciated her brother, but there were just things a girl didn't talk about with her big brother, and relationship was one of them. The thing between her and Scorpius might not be a 'real' relationship, but it still counted as a relationship of some sort, didn't it?

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, watching the rain and thinking deeply. All she knew was that Mikayla went over to her and asked her if she was coming to dinner. _Dinner already?_

"What time is it?" Lily asked, hopping down from her perch on the windowsill.

"Six thirty," Mikayla answered, giving her a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Lily said tersely. "I'm fine. I'm perfect. I'm great."

Mikayla frowned. "You look a bit pale and…ruffled."

"I'm a bit off, that's all." Lily said evasively.

"Did something—"

"Just drop it, will you?" Lily snapped and headed towards the portrait hole without waiting for her best friend.

"Lily, wait!" Mikayla yelled at her. She stopped on her tracks, trying hard to put her emotions on check.

"What is wrong with you?"

Lily turned to gave her an impassive stare. "You want to know what in the name of Merlin is wrong with me?" she said in a low, nonchalant voice. "Everything. _You_ dating Lucas and not telling my brother how you feel; Adam and Beth being bitches; Scorpius getting engaged by his parents; me, being so bloody stupid I pushed him away and asked to be his friend and break this pathetic fake-relationship. And you know what? I don't want to be _just_ his friend anymore…"

And without waiting for a response, Lily headed ran as fast as she could, not to the Great Hall, but outside, through the pouring rain.

She walked around the Black Lake, not caring about the salt water soaking her or the cold air that made her shiver every millisecond. She didn't know what happened to her. She wasn't like this. She wasn't one to get all emotional about her feelings. She was carefree, frivolous, outgoing, and unrelentingly cheerful. But now, all those seemed to wash out of her to be replaced by the negatives.

Tired of walking, she sat down at the edge of the Lake, her arms wrapped around her knees. She could smell the mixture of freshwater from the lake, rainwater, _her_ tears, and mud. She was wet all over and she didn't know which were the teardrops and raindrops that were pouring down her face.

"I hate this," she whispered, closing her eyes shut, resting her head between her knees. She tried to block all thoughts from her mind and concentrated on the sound of the heavy rain pounding against the ground. It helped her empty her mind. She felt calmer and calmer as the minutes passed. She thought she heard movement that sounded like footsteps around her but instead of looking up and around, she remained in her position. She was afraid that she'd think about the ugly thoughts again when she moved.

After a while, she shivered again and felt like she couldn't take the cold anymore. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up. Out of the corner of her eye, she vaguely noticed a tuff of silvery blond hair lit by the moonlight through the rain. She turned around. It was Scorpius, sitting three feet from her, staring ahead.

"I see, you finally cleared your head," he said in a soft voice without turning around to look at her.

Lily fixed him a stare. Was he the one who was making the sound of footsteps earlier?

"What d'you mean?" she asked.

He finally turned and met her hazel eyes. Uncannily, Lily thought his gray eyes were more alight even through the haze brought by the rain. "Didn't you come here to think? About what happened a few hours ago? I saw you running away from Palmer…"

"Oh," she muttered. "The opposite, actually. I came here to stop myself from thinking ugly things. I'm not good at dealing with it."

He sighed. "I know you might be mad at—"

"I'm sorry," Lily cut in. "I was stupid, pushing you away. I mean, it is the right thing to do but…" she trailed off, not knowing how to say how she felt.

"I know," he said suddenly in a soft voice. He walked closer to her and sat in front of her. Her heart was racing louder than the pounding rain. "Sometimes, the right thing to do feels so wrong, while the wrong one…feels entirely right."

Lily's heart was thudding fast. He was leaning in to kiss her. She wanted him to, but…

"Scorpius," she whispered. He stared at her, a slight crease into his eyebrow. "Could we not rush into things? Could we try, _just_ try being friends first and get to know more about each other's lives before we…"

He stared deep into her eyes and said sincerely, "Okay."

He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it gratefully, feeling warm instantly just by his touch even through the cold rain. She was grateful that he didn't argue with her about her decision. It was more rational. Together, they headed towards the castle. Upon reaching the entrance hall, both used Drying Charms on themselves.

When both of them were rainwater free, Scorpius said, "D'you want to have dinner at the kitchens?"

Lily smiled gratefully. "Sure."

Inside the kitchens, nobody was there except for them and hundreds of house-elves who were giving them some space after they've given them some food.

"So," Lily said, after a while, "this is really awkward."

He chuckled. "I'm glad you're back to being straightforward."

She bit her lip. "Really, this is awkward," she said again. "I mean, you know, there are different relationship statuses in the Wizarding World—engaged, friends, married, and in a relationship. What do you call us? I mean, technically, you're engaged. And both of us are 'supposedly' in a relationship in the eyes of people, but all I wanted is to be friends _right now_, so am I single? I don't know, maybe our relationship status is equals to—it's complicated."

He chuckled again. "Yeah, it is pretty complicated, because you make it to."

Lily crossed her arms. "Well, you're father decided to make it complicated by engaging you, _unknowingly_, to that bint Selwyn. And you decided to make it _more_ complicated by wanting to please your father, therefore, agreeing to marry a bint. And I decided to make it _less_ complicated by trying to stay away from you and be your friend in the future but that future seemed like, a few hours after all those drama happened, which is _now_." Lily took a deep breath after her rant.

Scorpius fixed her a stare.

"What?" Lily said, feeling self-conscious. "Quit staring, it's creepy."

"Sorry," he said. "It's just that…I'm stupid, right? I don't always have to do what my father wants me to do…I mean marrying Claudine is really…_nightmarish_."

Lily giggled at her choice of her word. "Yeah, you're definitely right," she agreed. "Marrying Selwyn would be one heck of a nightmare."

"Well," Scorpius said, "I'll owl my dad tomorrow and tell him I'm not going to marry that bint."

Lily beamed at him. "That's the best decision I've heard you say the whole day."

He smiled, but Lily noticed that it was a bit…unlike him. She didn't ask, though. Maybe she was just imagining things again. It wouldn't be the first time. Besides, she didn't want to have another row.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I just hope Dad will understand. At least I'm sure my mum will."

Lily held put her hand on top of his hand on the table and said, "He will. But if he didn't, there's always a Sirius Black thing to do."

Scorpius' eyebrows creased. "Sirius Black? You mean I should disobey my parents like he did if…?"

Lily shrugged. "Well, I don't think it'll lead that way because I know your parents aren't evil like Sirius Black's. But I never met them anyway. Only, I've seen his mother on the portrait in our house in Grimmauld Place."

"You live there?" he asked incredulously. "I heard about it…they said it's…creepy."

"It is," she agreed, "but we don't live there. We live in Godric's Hollow."

"Oh."

"I also heard that Malfoy Manor is creepy," she commented.

"It _was_," he corrected, "but not anymore."

"Could I come there, then?" she said playfully.

He smirked. "Do you think your parents would allow?"

"Yep," she said knowingly. "They don't intervene on my personal life. And they don't give a damn about whoever I befriend or associate myself with."

"Do you think they know about _this_?" he asked.

"Yes…I think," she answered. "If your parents knew, then mine would have known by now, already."

"They didn't send you letters telling to stay away from me?" he asked incredulously. "I mean, our fathers were enemies at school, right?"

Lily nodded. "Yeah. But Dad got over it already. He couldn't be mates with your dad, though, but they're old enough to stop their petty fights. I think you should tell your father about that."

He nodded. "I think he's being childish, you know," he admitted.

"Why is that?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but made up his mind and answered. "He was supposedly married to my Aunt Daphne," he said. "But he love my mum, so he got to choose her instead. It's really childish of him to force me to marry someone I really, _really_ don't like."

"Yeah, there might be a couple of purebloods out there who are good enough for your taste," she said lightly.

He stared at her with an unfathomable look on his face.

"I think we should go," he said, standing up. She was startled by his sudden change in attitude again. "I'll walk you back."

She bit her lip, debating with herself on whether or not to argue with him. She decided on the latter.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>"Where've you been?"Mikayla asked, sighing in relief, as soon as Lily entered the dormitory. "I've been looking all over for you."<p>

"I went outside…" Lily answered tersely.

Mikayla's eyes widened. "On this weather? Honestly, you could've been sick! And why aren't you wet? Are you—"

"I used a Drying Charm, okay," Lily said in a tired voice. "Honestly, do you think I'm a Muggle?"

"Sorry but maybe you're forgetting I'm a Muggle-born," Mikayla snapped.

"Yeah, Muggle-born," Lily repeated and added, "not a _Muggle_."

Mikayla sighed. "What's got into you now? Look, I'm sorry for being stupid. I broke it off with Lucas, and he told me something."

Lily raised an eyebrow at her. "You broke up with Lucas?" she repeated questioningly. "And what in the name of Merlin did he tell you?"

Mikayla smiled slightly. "He told me he was making his best mate—your brother—a favor by dating me. He said Albus was too scared to ask me out because I'm your best friend. So Lucas tried to play with his feelings a bit as much as I did."

"And you think that's something to be proud of?" Lily said dryly. "Honestly, I don't know what to make of it. Everyone around here's full of lies already."

"Why are you being so snappish?"

"I'm not," Lily said. "I'm just trying to tell you that you should summon the courage to ask my brother out, particularly to the ball. Maybe I'll stop snapping at you after that."

Mikayla looked as though she was slapped in the face. "Honestly, Lily, I don't know what to make of you right now."

"I could say the same," Lily said, not feeling guilty knowing that this would provoke her best friend's feelings enough to tell Albus how she felt.

With that said Lily hopped to her bed and closed the hangings, thinking about Scorpius and wondering if she made things complicated between them again.

* * *

><p>The next day, Lily went to breakfast with Hugo. She wasn't up to joining Mikayla until she finally became honest with herself and to everyone else.<p>

"What's up with you and Kaye?" Hugo asked as they headed down the Great Hall.

"She's being stupid," Lily said. "That's all I'm telling you, though."

Hugo shrugged. "I'm not sure I want to know, though," he said. "Girls are too complicated."

"Shut up, Hugs," Lily said. "Anyway, do me a favor and let me sit with you through all classes, just until Mikayla gets on her right mind."

"Sure," Hugo said. "I see, you're having trouble with both of your best friends."

"I only have one best friend," she corrected. "I could never forgive Beth, ever."

"If you say so…"

"Anyway," Lily said, changing the subject, "who're you going with to the ball?"

Hugo grinned. "I asked Hanna Spencer yesterday. She said yes."

Lily beamed at her cousin. "Hanna Spencer? That pretty fourth year Gryffindor?"

"Yep. The very one."

"Nice catch!" Lily said, thumping Hugo on the back.

"Hey Lily!" someone called. The cousins turned around to see Timothy Fields running towards them. "I was wondering where to find you."

"And?" Lily said dryly.

"Well," he muttered, "I figured, since we're both prefects, maybe we should…er, go to the ball together? I heard you and Malfoy…uh, split up…so…"

"And that," Lily said, faking a smile, "is a big fat rumor. Tell me, who have you heard it from?"

"I heard Claudine Selwyn from Slytherin talking 'bout it at dinner last night…" he mumbled nervously.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well, that just proves that she's a bitch."

"She said she's engaged to Malfoy," he blurted out suddenly.

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, Timothy, could you please shut up for a second?" she snapped. "I. Know. About. That. Already."

"Then..w-why…"

"Do I look like I care if they're engaged?" she retaliated. "Scorpius doesn't like her, okay? Now get lost before I finally lose my temper and turn you into a teapot."

With that said, Timothy, ran on away from them fearfully. Hugo fixed Lily a look.

"You really like him, don't you?" he said.

Lily sighed. "Believe me, I do," she answered honestly. "But it's really complicated."

Hugo put an arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Well, I think Malfoy's a um...pretty decent person."

"He is," Lily agreed, smiling fondly at her cousin, despite the slight uncertainty in his voice. He put her shoulder down as they reached the Great Hall and Lily noticed someone waiting by the door. It was Scorpius. Lily smiled at him and waved her cousin away for a while.

"Hey," she said.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive," he said. "I've got a reply from my dad already."

Her eyes widened. "That fast?"

He nodded and handed her a letter from her pocket. It was written in an elegant script that looked slightly intimidating. It said:

_Dear Scorpius,_

_You're too young to understand what I'm doing, but in due time, you will. I wouldn't say I'm sorry for trying to engage you, but I'm pulling it off now. The thing you have with the Potter girl might not last like your past women, so I'll keep my hopes up. I'll try to trust your judgment about this. The situation between your mother and I was different because she is a pureblood._

_I'll confide this to you—I only did that fake engagement to let your grandfather live in peace. He's getting old and he doesn't need to worry about you right now. You know how he gets like about the so-called 'purity of blood' that's why I made him think that. I hope you'll understand. He might not stay with us anytime soon._

_Love,_

_Dad_

"So," Lily said, closing the letter, "there's been a lot of 'fake things' going on lately. This suddenly feels like some sort of '_love game_'. You know, lying and faking our love life like it's some sort of game where some will win, some will lose in the end."

He gave her a look. "Yeah, that's exactly how it feels like…You and me, Rosewood and McLaggen, your best friend and brother, my dad, Claudine, and almost everyone."

She nodded. "You know, Timothy asked me out a while ago," she said. "He said Selwyn was telling everyone that both of you are engaged."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Well, I alleviated the rumors already. Don't worry. And who the bloody hell is Timothy?"

"The other Gryffindor prefect," she answered apprehensively.

"Oh, the one who likes you," he muttered. "So?"

"So what?"

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I'd turn him into a teapot if he didn't shut up," she answered. "Anyway, are you planning on having breakfast or not?"

"I am. Come on."

"Wait, what the bloody hell are you doing?" she gasped as he pulled her towards the Slytherin table.

He flashed her a grin. "Do you not want to join me to breakfast?"

"Hell, I don't!" she answered at once and he just laughed at her. He forced her to sit beside her and she could see Selwyn glaring at her.

"What're you doing here, bitch?" she snarled.

Lily flashed her a sickening smile. "First off, if you're calling someone a bitch, then maybe you're calling yourself," she mocked. "And second, I'm merely having breakfast here."

Selwyn stood up from her seat and burst out of the hall, fuming.

"Hey woman," someone said and Lily turned around to see Hayden Zabini.

"I have a name," she said, "or do I need to spell it?"

"I see someone's in a bad mood," he said, grinning at her. "Right, _Lily_?"

She sighed. "Well, Scorpius pulled me into the snake pit."

Hayden chuckled. "Poor you."

Lily rolled her eyes at him and stuck a toast inside her mouth, barely chewing it.

"That's very disgusting of you," Scorpius teased. She pulled the toast out of her mouth and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shut up. I'm trying to turn you off so you'll send me back to the _lion's_ _den_."

He smirked. "No way," he said. "You're avoiding Palmer so you might as well join me here."

"Like you're giving me a choice," she muttered.

He chuckled. "Well, I know you could handle the pressure. It's your second time here, now."

She shrugged. "Maybe."

They barely finished their breakfast because they kept bickering all the time. At last, students started standing up and making their ways to their classes and Lily and Scorpius followed suit.

"I'll wait for you outside after your last class," he said, flashing a gorgeous smile before parting ways with her.

She would never admit it but Lily was starting to get more attached to him in ways more complicated and deeper than friendship.

* * *

><p>"How's your day?" Scorpius asked as she met Lily outside the Transfiguration classroom. It was her last class of the day.<p>

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "So you're serious about meeting me after classes, huh?" she commented. The two of them started walking and Lily ignored the slightly helpless look on Mikayla's face lingering by the door. "Anyway, to answer your question, my day was pretty much slow."

"Sure it is," he said. "You were ignoring your best mate, so it should be slow for you."

"Yeah, right," she muttered. "So, how is _your_ day?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much normal," he answered. "Listening to class, taking notes, doing Charms, practical wand thingy—nothing out of the ordinary."

"Hey, I almost forgot," Lily said suddenly, putting a hand on her forehead, stopping on her tracks. "I've got an essay to finish for Charms. Damn it, how could I have forgotten about it! It was due tomorrow!"

"Well, let's go to the library, then," he said and without waiting for an answer, started leading her towards it.

She sighed. "I'm sure you're not up to having a 'library-time' right now," she grumbled. "You could go if you'd like. I'll just…er, do things on my own." She crinkled her nose. She was never one of those goody-goodies who could endure two or three hours in the library without company or anyone to talk with. For a moment, she played with the thought of ditching homework and just spending time with Scorpius.

"Do you see me complaining?" he said. "I've got homework to finish for Potions, anyway. Maybe we could swap ideas to make it easier."

She gave him a look. "Yes, that really _is_ a great idea for _me_, but I don't reckon I could give you that much help since I'm like two years below you."

"It's Potions, though," he said, as if that settles matters.

"And?"

"It's one of your best subjects," he insisted. The idea of ditching her essay flashed her mind again.

"I haven't gone through an advance two-year course for Potions, you know."

He shrugged. "Well, I'll still do it, anyway. And you should stop thinking about not doing your essay."

Her jaw dropped. "W-What…h-how...what the—how in the name of Godric did you think I am thinking about doing that?"

He chuckled but didn't say anything. They reached the library and he led her to the last row. They sat in front of each other, Lily still staring at him in awe and surprise, Scorpius looking cool and collected.

Scorpius laid his books, notes, roll of parchment, quill and ink neatly on the space in front of him. Lily couldn't help staring. He didn't look geeky or nerdy when studying like other boys did. On the contrary, he looked even more utterly gorgeous and attractive.

"See something you like," he said without looking up, smirking, as he started to write something on his parchment.

Unashamedly, Lily nodded. "Yep. You're drop-dead gorgeous while studying, even. Who could blame me?"

He chuckled. She put out her books and notes, a piece of parchment, her quill and ink, and wrote _Silencing Charms_ at the top with her cursive handwriting. She always thought her penmanship was sort of cute. When she looked at Scorpius' paper, she mumbled, "Oh."

He had an elegant handwriting that one out of a hundred blokes could do. She remembered Mr. Malfoy's letter and how it greatly resembled his writing, except that it wasn't _that_ intimidating. Okay, maybe a little, but it really is...what was the word? _Attention-grabbing_. Okay, those were two words...

Scorpius looked up and gave her a look.

"Sorry," she muttered. "It's just that your writing's sort of extravagantly elegant for a bloke. It looks more fitting for a woman's," she added teasingly.

He shook his head at her, smirking. "Honestly, Lily. You're distracting."

"No, _you_ are distracting," she countered. "So what's your idea on Silencing Charms?" she asked suddenly.

"Seriously, woman," he muttered. "You could change topics faster than a bullet."

She smiled slightly. "Of course, I could. So—what?"

"What, _what_?" he said, looking confused.

She rolled her eyes. "What's your idea on _Silencioooo_?"

"Oh. Well, it's mainly used to quiet someone who is too…_unquiet_."

"D'you want to use it on me right now because I'm so loud?"

He smirked. "Nope. But the librarian might if you don't stop talking."

She pretended to be offended. "Okay, I'm shutting up now…"

He shook his head at her knowingly and turned back to his parchment. About half an hour later, Lily had written a feet and two inches in her parchment. _Only four inches to go_, she thought. Her hand was aching so she decided to take a break.

Stretching her arms in front of her, she groaned satisfyingly. It always felt so good to stretch after doing something strenuous, and doing homework straight for thirty minutes definitely counted as strenuous. She didn't notice that _someone_ in front of her was distracted by all the stretching she was doing.

Scorpius looked to her and said, "Giving up already?"

Lily shook her head at him. "'Course not. I've written about fourteen inches already, so I might as well rest for a couple of minutes."

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Fourteen inches? In like, thirty minutes?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "So?"

"So, I haven't even seen you open your book or…or even go over your notes."

She shrugged. "The 'notes' are all stuck in my head. And I'm a fast writer."

"You're awesome," he said. "I've only written about seven or eight inches because I kept going over my notes."

She grinned at him. "Well, that's me. And that's you. And that proves girls are so much better than boys."

He snorted. "On studying," he said. "Yep, a definitely good comparison."

"Oh, not that," she cooed playfully. "Girls are _cleverer_. That _is_ what I meant. 'Girls one, boys zero!'"

He chuckled. Just then, the librarian went over and fixed her cat-like eyes on them, Lily in particular. Lily stared back confidently with an innocent look in her eyes. _Never blink_, that's what her mum told her when in a situation when truth is forced out of you by someone who couldn't read minds. _Don't make eye-contact_, was what her dad told her if the person could read minds, but anyway, this scrawny, slightly hunchbacked, thick-glassed librarian look like she could read minds much less than a cockroach.

It took a whole minute before they broke eye contact. And it wasn't even because the two women looked away from each other, but just some _other_ distraction.

"Excuse me, madam," Scorpius said in a gentlemanly voice to the librarian and they both turned to look at him. Lily smirked knowingly. It wasn't a sin, but Scorpius Malfoy could use his charms to any woman— an _old_ woman included. "But, we're just swapping ideas here about our homework." He smiled slightly and Lily noticed that the bat was flushed slightly. "Pardon us if our voices were a bit loud and disturbing."

The librarian gave him a wrinkly smile and Lily pretended to vomit behind her back. Scorpius' mouth twisted on the curves and she knew that even if his gray eyes were fixed on the librarian, he could definitely see her.

"Absolutely," the librarian said and strode off.

When she was completely gone, Lily giggled. "Honestly, I could puke right now," she said in a quiet voice, still giggling.

He smirked. "Is that your way of saying you're jealous?" he teased.

She snorted. "No way in hell am I going to be jealous with a sixty year-old woman," she said dryly. "Besides, you forgot I don't have the right to be jealous."

"Yes, because we're supposedly friends…and because it's _wrong_," he said in a voice barely more than a whisper. He leaned forward on the table between them and Lily found herself doing the same. Their faces were only inches from each other.

"But you forgot something," he continued. She could already smell his breath, like mint and honey. "The _wrong_ things always feel _right_ to me, remember?"

And with that, he gave her a soft, passionate kiss. For once, it didn't feel wrong. It felt entirely right…In a twisted, complicated way, that is.

* * *

><p><em>I appreciated the reviews last time. Thanks. A lot. It helped a lot so… thanks! Anyway, I wouldn't have another rant in here about 'my life' here so I'll just put something about the chapter. There are dramatic parts—mainly the 'first' part—but the rest seemed much more of fun banters, sweetness and teasing—the things I love writing the most.<em>

_Some of you (I _really_ do think) may not like how or where this story is going/heading. Believe me, I could tell. But _please _just don't tell me how to write it. Enough said._

**_"_Sometimes, the right thing to do feels so wrong, while the wrong thing…feels entirely right." **–my fave quote here. :)

_Thanks for reading. I've done everything I could to make this chapter a better one than the last, so…**Please** **review!**_


	7. Real Relationship

_Thanks—**bellibella, Cat-Rex, APotterFan, MysteryGirl, Rusichan, Fall Equinox, SWeEt KiSsEs AnD lOviNg HuGGs, Bucky5, LilyLunaPotter94, (), smp2792 and TeamPotter**—for your awesome reviews!_

_**Rusichan** "Hey, good luck with that 'thing' you're gonna do. Don't get yourself too worked up because that guy/friend I _liked_—well, let's just say that he already has a girlfriend and we worked much better as _friends_. And I'm good with that. But hey, you'll never know if that boy likes you, too." :)_

**_Read away!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7—<em>Real<em>-ationship**

Have you ever felt like you were floating in the air with bliss? Well, that was exactly what Lily felt at the moment. Kissing wasn't something new to her at the age fifteen, but this kiss was something…different. It wasn't the typical, perfect, romantic kiss by the moonlight a typical teenage girl dreamed of. Well, Lily and the word _typical_ would never make sense. She wasn't the ordinary teenage girl who thought that a perfect kiss was under the moon and stars, or some random girl who thought of kissing as something really sappy and dreamed of it. Last year, she never would've thought that her perfect kiss would happen with _him_.

Let's just say that her perfect kiss happened in the library. _Now._ At this very moment.

It wasn't about the perfect scene or background, though. It was about the right man and the perfect feelings. Yep, she definitely felt like 'floating in the air with bliss' at the moment.

In what felt like two eternities, Lily and Scorpius pulled away, both gasping for breath. Scorpius rested his chin on the nape of her neck, trailing kisses to it, up to her jaw, and back again. Lily closed her eyes, thinking that she was only dreaming and when she opened them again, she would see the familiar scarlet hangings around her four-poster.

She opened it and felt a shiver run down her spine. Scorpius was still trailing kisses on her neck. She shivered again.

"Scorpius," she said, giggling slightly, her shoulder twitching, "i-it…it tickles."

She felt Scorpius' lips curve into a smile. "Really?"

"No," she said in the most sarcastic voice she could muster. "Of course it _does_. There's like, one out of thirty girls who doesn't tickle on the neck."

He chuckled and pulled away, staring deeply into her eyes. For a moment that felt like hours, Lily held her breath. "I have a favor to ask you…"

"Yes?" she said.

"Could we change something in _our_ vocabulary?" he asked, smiling slightly.

Lily smiled back knowingly. "If you're saying we should change the 'fakes' or 'pretenses' or 'acts' into something _real_, then my answer is yes," she said.

"What makes you think that's what I was referring to?" he asked playfully.

"What were you thinking, then?" she said, fighting back a smile.

He smirked. "Well, I was thinking more into the lines of removing the 'you' and 'I' in our dictionary and change them replaced them with _us_."

She giggled. "That…is so cheesy of you," she teased.

He shrugged. "So, what say you? About _us_?"

She flashed him a brilliant smile. "What do you think? Of course I'd like for there to be an 'us'…"

"But?" he pushed.

She bit her lip. "Promise me you would never meet another woman while you're with me," she blurted out. "I mean it. If you want to see another girl, then cut it off with me instead of making me find it out accidentally…"

Scorpius smiled at her. "Well, knowing you, I wouldn't even dare try and do that," he said. "Or you probably would have the sweetest revenge on me."

Lily grinned. "We have a deal, then."

He gave her a look. "Wrong word," he said. "We're done with that stupid deal." He flashed her a lopsided smile. "We're starting something _real_-ationship," he said, leaning down for another kiss.

* * *

><p>Lily went back to the common room, feeling so elated that she forgot getting mad at Mikayla and sat beside her at the common room, beaming radiantly.<p>

"So, you decided to forgive me, then?" Mikayla said hesitantly to her.

Lily shrugged, remembering that she shouldn't be talking to her best friend until she told her brother she liked him. "Maybe," she said, figuring that she shouldn't be so cold towards Mikayla. "So, have you told Al about _it_?" she asked.

Mikayla bit her lip. "I was planning on telling him after classes when you so pointedly ignored me," she said in a quiet voice, "but I guess someone got there first." Her eyes trailed off to the corner of the room where a pretty, petite girl with sleek, dark brown hair was sitting with Albus, giggling flirtatiously at him.

Lily felt a sudden urge to either vomit because of _that_ girl, or to kick herself for making her best friend feel worse.

"She must be just someone who…fancies him," Lily reassured in a sure voice, although her insides were squirming from the lie. Truth was, she was almost sure the girl really got into Al. She turned to look at Al, who was laughing along with the girl. "I'm going over and ask Al," she told Mikayla and marched off towards her brother.

"Hey, Lils," Albus said. "What's up? Are you fine already?"

Lily shrugged. "Well, Scorpius and I are alright again, if that's what you mean," she said bluntly. "I didn't come here to talk about that, though. Can I talk to you in private?" She looked pointedly at the girl Albus was with, who looked quite surprised at the sudden hostility in her voice.

"Er, I'll meet you at dinner, Al," she mumbled and scuttled off towards who Lily assumed was her friends.

Lily took the seat the girl just vacated and said, "Who's _her_?"

Albus looked even more startled at Lily's attitude. "She's Meghan," he said.

"What's she doing with you?" Lily pressed.

Albus gave her a look. "She's my partner in a Potions project," he answered, raising an eyebrow. "Really, Lils, what is it that you want?"

"Well, she was flirting with you," she said bluntly.

Albus sighed. "First off, Lils, stop biting my head off. I know she was flirting with me but everyone in my year knows she'd do anything to date me. Believe me, I'm trying my hardest to be polite to her."

"Oh. Okay then." She stood up, feeling stupid.

"Why?" Albus asked. "D'you hate her or…?"

"Nope," Lily said, shrugging. "I just don't like girls like that for my brother."

"What kind of girl do you like for me, then?" Albus asked playfully.

"Someone like Kaye," Lily blurted out and blinked. Had she just told Albus about Mikayla's secret-crush-since-third-year?

Albus stared at her. "What?"

Lily sighed. "She likes you, alright."

He frowned. "But he just broke up with Lucas…"

"Well, she liked you since third year," she admitted, thinking it's better to tell the truth than use her lying skills. "She's just too scared to tell…and I told you…accidentally…So?"

"Could you tell her…_Kaye_…to come over here and talk to me?" he said in a voice unlike him.

"Er…sure," Lily said uncertainly. She called Mikayla, who gave her a look that clearly said _What the hell!_ and escaped to the confines of their dormitory. Upon opening it, she wished she just stayed inside the common room. Inside were Adam and Beth in a _very_ compromising position. Let's just say that one of them is half-naked, and the other was _almost_ half-naked.

"Okay, that is _gross_," Lily said disgustedly. Good thing they were on Beth's bed or else Lily would strangle them by hand instead of wand right now. "And how did you get here?" she snapped at Adam, who smirked. "The stairs are supposed to turn into slides when boys stepped on it."

Lily knew _exactly_ how boys could get pass the stairs, of course, but anyway, she was too mad that she'd forgotten. "Well, d'you want to know so you could bring your own boyfriend in here?" he asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Okay, I know that you are _gross_—but I never thought you are _that_ disgustingly, repulsively gross. And throw your shirts on, both of you."

Adam grinned. "Like what you see?"

Lily resisted the urge to puke. "Ew. Could you hear yourself?"

"What? There's no need to be shy of admitting you like seeing a great, manly body."

"Arrrgh! Stop flirting with her!" Beth exclaimed to Adam.

"I want you out of here, _McLaggen_, when I come back," Lily said before exiting the dormitory, letting the cat and dog argue with each other. On one hand, she was pissed that they actually _did_ that thing they've done in the broom cupboard again, but on another, she was secretly pleased that they were arguing. It was quite a pleasant thought.

She didn't enter the common room, though. She waited at the foot of the stairs, secretly spying on her best friend and brother on the corner. Yes, she had been quite mad at Mikayla for being so afraid at admitting her feelings but not everyone had it easy on them. It was easier for Lily to tell her feelings, because growing with two brothers toughened her personality. Mikayla was always a competent student, but sometimes she just lacked confidence in things outside academic achievement.

Lily watched her and Albus, willing for them to be together. She was secretly looking forward to telling Mikayla about her and Scorpius, and wanted her to share the similar things about her and Albus. It would be a really good bonding time for them. So she watched and watched and…suddenly, Albus leaned down and kissed Mikayla's plum pink lips.

Lily smiled and quietly tiptoed towards the portrait hole, thinking that she might as well drag Scorpius with her to dinner.

* * *

><p>Days passed and things started to become normal again. Better than normal, anyway. Lily was always radiant when she's at Scorpius' side, feeling happy that it's all real now between them. The same could be said with her best friend and brother. Mikayla and Albus were an 'item' now around the school. Of course, many girls had their eyebrows raised at Mikayla because many liked Albus around the school. He's a prefect, Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain, and the second son of 'Harry Potter'. It was also a plus that he looked exactly like his dad had when he was younger.<p>

Well, at least that's less attention for Lily. Some people might think that being the center of attention was a good experience, but for those who were always in it, it get's more and more annoying.

"So," Lily said as she and Scorpius were decorating again along with the other prefects. It was Wednesday, six days before Halloween. "I'm curious…what d'you think your parents think of me?"

He shrugged. "I don't exactly know 'cause I'm at school," he answered casually but Lily knew he was just being evasive.

"Well, you know them enough to know what they're thinking," she pressed.

He sighed. "Tell me, d'you know what your parents think of me?" he asked back.

"You're changing the subject."

"Just answer it before I answer your question," he insisted.

She shrugged. "Okay. Well, my mum will probably think you're alright, especially if he sees your really cute face." She smiled and he shook his head at her, smirking. "And my dad—well, let's just say he loves me too much to disapprove of who I go out with. Well, it's your turn."

"Well, my mother will definitely like you," he said, smirking. "She'll like someone to go shopping to random countries with. My dad…well, you saw he's letter. I know it's torture for him to know that I'm going out with his old enemy's daughter but he most probably thinks we're just going out for fun and this'll end soon."

Lily sighed. She knew it was inevitable. Scorpius would graduate, she would continue her studies at Hogwarts; he's going to find someone, she's going to find another one. It's rare that two people shared one of those love stories where the girl and the boy dated since their early teens, graduate, have their own works, get engaged and get married. Well, it wasn't _that_ unusual in their family, but the war brought them all close together. Close enough to get married.

Well, this was two and a half decades after that and things had changed. But for now, Lily just thought of enjoying Scorpius' company while it lasts.

"So, how's your team practice going?" Lily asked, changing the subject.

He smirked lopsidedly at her. "Are you spying on us?"

"No need to spy 'cause we're gonna win, anyways," Lily said teasingly, smirking back at him. She had her wand up in the air, charming the curtains, when he suddenly snaked his arms around her waist, behind her back. He kissed her cheek sweetly.

She turned around and caught his lips on hers, kissing it succulently. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist, her hands on his chest. She dropped her wand on the floor, but she ignored it as he kissed her softly back. He nibbled her bottom lip slightly and pulled away.

"I could feel your brother's eyes at me now," he whispered in her ear. She smiled, biting her lip as he turned to look at her.

"Well," she muttered, "I think I'm going to get an earful later." She picked up her wand from the floor. "Let's get back to work."

He grinned. "Great idea," he said, "because your brother's stare is kind of creeping me out."

* * *

><p>Saturday morning meant another round of practice for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Despite it being five weeks away, Albus wanted the team to be in good shape already. Nobody was complaining, though. Albus was really a great captain, like James had been.<p>

"Okay team, ten laps in the air 'round the field!" Albus ordered them. Everyone complied. Lily soared into the air besides the two beaters—Caleb Finnegan and Wren Thomas. Caleb was in Lily's year and one of Hugo's friends while Wren was in fourth year. The Chasers circled around the pitch in a line at the front, followed by the Beaters, Lily, then the Keeper, Johan Wood. He was also in seventh year and friends with Albus. He was sort of pissed when Albus got the badge, but got over it as soon as he saw how difficult it was to be Captain, prefect, and a NEWT student at the same time.

The team sped around the pitch, flying agilely in the air. After that, Albus released the Quaffle, Bludgers, and Snitch, making everyone do what they were doing.

After the practice, the Chasers did more than fifty goals, half of it by made by Albus. The Beaters' aim and power were superb. Johan blocked loads of goals, despite the fact that the Chasers had goaled a lot. Lily had caught the Snitch six times at the end of their practice.

All in all, it was such a rejuvenating practice. They were all in high spirits, even though their first match is still in a month.

"You were great, Lily!" Johan exclaimed, clapping her on the back. "That was awesome. _Six_ times!"

Lily grinned at him. "Thanks. You were great, too!"

Johan grinned back at her. "So, I guess I'll catch you up at dinner."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "Er, apparently," she said slowly. "We're both Gryffindors, aren't we? So we eat at the same table at _lunch_ this afternoon—not _dinner_."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Right. Er, see ya 'round."

"Okay."

Lily turned around to see her cousin giving her a look that clearly said _what-the-hell-was-that-all-about?_

"So," Roxanne said, "Johan likes you, huh?"

"What?" Lily snapped. "No, he doesn't."

"He clearly does," Roxanne said back."The way he looked…nervous while talking to you."

Lily shrugged. "I have a boyfriend. Does _Scorpius_ _Malfoy_ ring a bell?" she said. She smiled slightly. It felt good to say it out loud without adding 'fake' at the back of her head. It felt good to finally be honest in telling—or in this case, _reminding_—people that her boyfriend was Scorpius Malfoy.

"Well, you do," Roxanne said, "but that doesn't stop people fancying you."

"What're you on about?" Lily said suspiciously. "I didn't, don't, and won't ever date _boys_, in plural. I only date _one_ at a time. You know how I hate it when people cheated on their relationships."

Roxanne sighed. "Well…right. Sorry."

She made to turn away, but Lily, realizing something, grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"Do _you_ fancy him?" Lily asked her cousin. "Do you fancy Johan?"

"W-What?" Roxanne stuttered. She didn't have to answer, though. The look on her face said it all. Her olive skin turned even a shade darker—evidently _blushing_ in a non-reddish way.

"You do, then."

"No, I don't!"

Lily sighed. "Look, c'mon let's go to the showers."

"I'm fine," Roxanne said abruptly. "I'll just take a shower back in the castle."

Lily gave her a look. "Well, I say no you won't so c'mon."

With a surprising strength, she yanked her cousin half-way through the girls' bathroom until Roxanne gave in and walked with her. She locked the door and pushed her cousin and her inside a cubicle.

"So," Lily said, "what's the story?"

Roxanne glared at her but Lily wasn't in the least bit perturbed. "There's not a story and there's nothing to tell."

"Hate to break it to you Rox, but apparently, there _is_ something to tell," Lily said nonchalantly. "So, you do like him, huh?"

Roxanne sighed, giving in. "Fine. I like him, then."

"And you're mad 'cause you think he likes me," Lily said knowingly.

"No," Roxanne answered immediately. Lily gave her another look. Roxanne sighed. "Fine. Yes, then."

Lily smiled. "It's not so hard to admit, is it? Anyway, back to you. I think you should ask him out to the ball."

"Well, he likes you. _Everyone_ likes you." Her cousin sighed. "And well, maybe he already has a date."

"There's nothing to lose if you're gonna try," Lily said. "You'll lose so much more if you don't try."

Roxanne bit her lip and thought for a moment. Finally, she smiled. "Okay, I'll ask him."

Lily beamed at her and made to walk out of the cubicle, but just as she was about to open the door, she turned back around and said, "Just so you know, not _everyone_ likes me."

She closed the door and showered in another cubicle, thinking about the people who didn't like her _anymore_—a.k.a. Adam and Beth.

_Well_, she thought, rinsing the strawberry-scent shampoo from her red hair, _I don't and will never like them again as far as I'm concerned._

* * *

><p>When Lily got out of the locker rooms, she was surprised to find Scorpius waiting there for her. He leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the mouth.<p>

"Hey there, strawberry," he said, smirking as he took her hand and led the way towards the castle.

"Strawberry?" Lily repeated questioningly.

He shrugged. "You smell like one—and you're hair's definitely strawberry-ish."

Lily giggled. "Well, you got that right. My shampoo's strawberry."

"Oh," he mumbled. "Really? Er, right. Well, let's not talk about strawberries."

"So, what should we talk about?" she asked.

"Mmm…how about—how's your practice?"

Lily shrugged. "It was…great, and a bit exhausting. I'm starving now, actually."

"Well, let's go grab you some lunch, then," he said.

"Are you gonna join me, then?" she asked, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes.

He scratched the back of his head anxiously. "Er, I kind of promised Hayden I'll sit with him today."

"That's okay," Lily said quickly, smiling. "Anyway, you've sat with me for almost everyday since…you know…when we had a _real_-ationship."

He chuckled. "Yep."

They were quiet for the rest of the walk, just holding each others hands. It was great how it felt to hold someone's hand like this and not feel like it's just for the show.

At last, they reached the Great Hall. Before separating no their tables, Scorpius leaned down and gave her a soft, swift kiss on the lips. Lily went over to sit next to Hugo. Mikayla seemed a bit busy with having a laughing time with Albus.

"Hey, Hugo," she said, sitting down between him and Caleb. "Sorry to crash here to you, guys, but…" She tilted her slightly towards the direction of her friend and brother.

Hugo shrugged. "Like I could force you to sit anywhere other than sit with us," he said lightly.

"Yep." Lily beamed. "You couldn't."

She started piling her plate with large amounts of food, incredibly ravenous. Halfway through her food, she noticed someone looking at her across and looked up to see Scorpius staring at her. He winked at her. She smiled at him. He was talking to his friends but his eyes were only on hers.

She shook her head at him and turned away.

"So, how's it going?" Lily asked her cousin. "Have you got a date for the ball, already?"

"Yep," Hugo answered.

"Anyone I know?"

"Well, her name is Denise Shenanigan," he said. "Hufflepuff. She's in fourth year, so…you might not know her."

Lily shrugged. "Where is she, then?" she asked, nodding towards the Hufflepuff table.

Hugo sighed, knowing that Lily wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. "Well, there she is," he said, pointing at a girl with long, wavy, dark-brown hair and was that _blue_ eyes?

"She's pretty," Lily commented, grinning at Hugo. "You've got quite a taste, cousin."

Hugo shrugged in response. "Well, _you_ sure do," he said. Was that sarcasm she was hearing?

Lily scowled at him. "What's that s'pose to mean?"

"It means, why _Malfoy_, of all people?" he asked and there was apparent confusion in his voice.

"It really isn't about standing out from all people," Lily said irritably. "It's about _him_. Well, hate to break it to you but he's incredibly good-looking." She noticed Hugo's ears flushed a little. "And he's good-looking inside and out."

Hugo gave her a dubious look. "Well, you'll never know if he's that good an actor."

"Well, he isn't. Stop making up things 'bout him."

"I'm not making up—"

"Yeah, yeah," she cut in. "I get it. I knew I couldn't convince all of my family that Scorpius is good for me."

She stood up and went outside the hall, heading towards the Astronomy Tower for some time to think by herself.

She reached the top of the tower in less than ten minutes, closing the door so no one would see her in. The Tower is out of bounds except during classes, but who the hell cares? She wasn't stealing any telescopes here, and for all she knew, many students had been in here to do something _worse_ and _gross_.

She sat there, her feet dangling on the spaces between the rails, looking at the sky. It was clear, forget-me-not blue—a good day. With a day as good as this, one thing had dampened her positive spirits. It was the thought that somehow, even her family had some disagreements about Scorpius. It wasn't a big deal. In all honesty, she didn't think it would last until marriage, like her mum and dad. But still, her family was always with her no matter what. And Hugo—he was her closest cousin, just like Rose was to Albus.

But she was sure as hell Hugo was apprehensive about her choice. Well, she was born to break the rules, though. She could handle those things perfectly well, but it was just a bit annoying. Prejudice could still be felt around the air. It had been here since the beginning and would never be gone.

"Wish they'd just all agree," she murmured softly through the air.

"Who?" someone asked behind her. There was no need to look behind her back. She would remember that voice anywhere now.

"Scorpius."

He sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," she answered, knowing fully well that he wouldn't believe her.

He sighed against her neck, breathing in the scent of her. "I don't believe that," he answered predictably.

"'Course you don't," she said, smiling a little. "You're a nosy git, that's why."

He smirked and before she could stop him, he began tickling the side of her neck. She giggled madly, unable to form the word 'stop'.

After a few seconds, he pulled his hands away. And after those few seconds, Lily was on the ground, her hair cascading messily around her face. Scorpius was sitting beside her, grinning. She scowled up at him.

Sitting up, she hit him hard on the back.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, jumping slightly. "What did you do that for?"

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Let's think," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Who d'you think have _irked_ me by tickling me _on the neck_?"

Scorpius sighed. "Okay, please just tell me why you're in such a bad mood," he said anxiously. "I mean—is this about me not sitting with you at lunch?"

With that concerned look he's giving her, Lily couldn't help but give in. "Okay. Well, let's just say Hugo doesn't think highly of you…"

"Oh," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. Sighing, he slid his arm once again around her waist. He tilted her face upward using his other hand, forcing her to look at him.

"Lily," he said softly, his voice velvety, "I don't care what they think of me. It doesn't matter whether or not they like me." He gave her a lopsided smile—one that she really loved to see. "What matters is that you do."

He leaned down and closed the distance between them, giving her a passionate kiss on the lips. She wrapped one hand around his neck, the other one lying against his chest. He smelt like a combination of freshly mown grass, peppermint, _sweat_ and honey.

And nothing smelt better.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys, I know this chapter's a bit shorter than [my] usual...and I updated later than [my] usual. I've had a busy week at school because I'm one of those who were assigned to do the programs and schedules and stuff. And we had a practical in basketball [not <em>Quidditch]_ yesterday, so I'm aching all over. Hey, I'm a girl but we're all 'forced' to play it._

_Anyway, I hoped you—yes YOU—weren't unsatisfied with this chapter. It was supposed to be longer, but I'm putting the Halloween Ball in the next chapter._

_See you guys there in a week or so! Thanks for reading! **Please review!**_


	8. Enchanted

Omigod, thank you—**Cat-rex, xxDeadInsidexx, ****SWeEt KiSsEs AnD lOviNg HuGGs****, bellibella, Rusichan, SnowflakeBeautiful, juust me, KJ, wolfsavior, Lozzzzzie, mycatisblued, Marrunks, Will, **and** justsmile**—for reviewing the last chapter. And plus **Aliette Malfoy Potter** and **GMarian** for reviewing chapter 1, anyways.

"And _please_, I'm asking you to **stop reading already, "pizzahungry"**. I'm not asking for constant criticism. And I'm definitely not asking for your opinions, as you've relentlessly reminded me I'm so pathetic since my other story. Just eat pizzas, or whatever."

R&R, others. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight—Enchanted<strong>

It was Tuesday, the morning of Halloween. Classes were held off so the students could prepare for the ball. Third years and above were allowed to go to Hogsmeade to buy some extra accessories and stuff.

Lily didn't feel up to going, though. Mikayla asked her if she'd like to come, but she told her that she didn't. Lily had everything she needed and she just wanted to have some time to relax. Mikayla didn't complain, telling her Albus would come with her.

"See you later," Mikayla said, waving goodbye. Lily sighed and continued with her breakfast. The Great Hall was smartly decorated by the prefects. It looked elegantly spooky, if spooky could ever be elegant. Nothing was impossible with magic, though. The ceiling was charmed so that instead of the sunny weather outside, it looked as if it there was going to be a storm, and there were stars visible. There were live bats fluttering above but they didn't get nearer than the torches perched high up the windows.

And even the food was a bit…Halloween—ish. The house-elves had overdone themselves with Jack-O-Lantern shaped pumpkins, ghost and Dementor sculptures of chocolates and vanillas, blood-red pumpkin juices, which were supposedly _orange_.

All in all, Halloween was evident even in the morning. Lily could almost enjoy the view alone by herself. More than half the students were on their way to Hogsmeade already, but here she was, in her own space…

"Hey there, beautiful," a silky voice behind her said. She smiled, turned around and looked up at Scorpius' pair of smoldering gray eyes. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"So," Lily said when he pulled away and sat beside her, "why aren't you in Hogsmeade with everyone else?"

He shrugged. "Well, I've got everything I need. Besides, I've gotten exhausted with all the Quidditch practices, prefect decorating, and NEWTs for a whole week. I guess I could just give myself a break."

"Hmmm…" she mumbled. "So what're you wearing at the ball?"

He smirked. "Sorry. Can't tell you that."

She pouted playfully. "C'mon. Just give me a hint so I could find you easily."

He thought for a moment, looking at her face. "Alright," he finally said. "All I could tell you is that I'm not wearing black."

"Oh. Okay, then."

His hands wrapped around her wais and she leaned slightly on him. "So what're _you_ going to wear?" he asked, burying his face on top of her head.

"All I can tell you I'm not wearing red," she told him, smiling slightly. "It'll clash badly with my hair."

"Too bad," he said, moving his lips to her cheek, kissing it softly. "I love that color."

"I've got too much red on me, anyway," she said and stood up. "Walk with me?"

"Of course," he said, smiling crookedly and standing up. Lily linked her arms to his, beaming as the two of them walked across, and outside, the hall.

The two of them strolled by the Black Lake. It was light outside, contrary to the Halloween-haunted scene of the castle.

"So," Scorpius said, stopping under the shade of a large, oak tree, "are you excited about tonight?"

Lily shrugged. "I guess. It was me who suggested this ball thingy, anyway, so I guess I just have to play with it."

"Don't tell me you don't like it," he said disbelievingly.

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Of course I do," she said. "All I don't like is the disturbances of too many people. You know—it's all of the Houses, plus the staff, blah, blah, blah."

He chuckled. "You're worried because there'll be too many people tonight?"

"Nope," she said, leaning closer. "I just wanted a little more…space…for us…"

Lily could almost see the slight, light freckles across his nose, the blue dots in his eyes, the lines on his soft, pink lips…

"I'm counting on that," he whispered as he closed the distance between them, giving her a soft, sweet, passionate kiss on the lips.

* * *

><p>"Had a good afternoon?" Mikayla asked Lily. They were sitting on Lily's four-poster in their dormitory. Mikayla just got back from Hogsmeade and found Lily here, apparently daydreaming.<p>

Lily grinned dazedly at her. "Definitely."

Mikayla gave her a knowing look. "You and Malfoy did something _sneaky_?"

"Am I that obvious?" Lily asked, giggling slightly.

"Apparently, yes. And there's no need to ask. I know I'm right."

"Put it this way," Lily said slyly. "What Scorpius and I did this afternoon was probably what you and Albus did after, before, after, _or_ during you were shopping. Or _all_ of them, possibly."

"Well, it's none of—"

Lily cut her in with a laugh. "Don't tell me it's none of my business," Lily said. "I'm your best friend, Albus' brother, and the one who put the two of you together, since you're stupidly coward to approach each other."

"Well, do you want me to tell you, exactly, how me and your brother made out?" Mikayla blurted out exasperatedly.

"It's your duty," Lily said, "but I don't need all the details, like if Albus hitched up your skirt or…omigod! That's totally gross, what had made me say that?"

Both girls grimaced.

"Okay, words are actually grosser than the actions itself," Mikayla said.

Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I totally agree." She thought about how it felt like when she snogged Malfoy senseless. It was overwhelming, but if you were witnessing something like that, or even _describing_ it in words—ew.

"Anyway," Mikayla said, wrinkling her nose, "tell me about you and Malfoy?"

Lily suddenly brightened and told her everything she could remember. After kissing under that oak tree for about a minute or two. Maybe three. She wasn't exactly sure. Well, after doing that, the two of them _did _sneak off towards a cozy broom cupboard and snogged again. And well, it felt wonderful for her to touch him without restraining herself. They were official now, after all.

And apparently, bad girl and badass were better as a couple than a _fake_ couple/ friends with benefits.

But it wasn't just the snogging or any other hormonal things. They had also talked about things around their homes. Lily complained that her parents—and practically her _whole family_—were famous. Scorpius often said that his dad was an _infamous_ ex-Death Eater. Lily told him how she used to be annoyed at being teased by her two brothers as kids, plus her cousins. Scorpius was a bit off for being an only child and having to play only with his grandfather, Lucius, when he was a child. Lucius would tell him bad, wicked stories about the Potters, Weasleys, and all those who were on the good side during the war. Lily's Grandpa Arthur often told Lily when she was a child that Lucius Malfoy was the one person who made their lives a living hell, possibly even more than Voldemort.

Scorpius had quickly agreed with that. Lily was slightly surprised. They were raised differently, and yet, they were too much a like. They've got differences, too. Scorpius was usually cool and collected before he met Lily. Lily was always buoyant and radiant and simply glowing—even more when she's angry.]

And well, it was a sweet start for a day to sum it up.

"I'm glad you reverted back from that revenge plan on Beth," Mikayla said when she finished.

"Who says I'm done?" Lily said. "Honestly, I'll never be done with that bitch. Although sometimes, I just think she's not worth my time—even my taunting, jeering, mocking revenge time."

Just then, the door flew open and in came the person they were just talking about.

"Lily," Beth said, staring directly to her. Lily quirked an impassive eyebrow at her.

"Rosewood," Lily said back evenly, boring her hazel eyes on her.

"Won't you stop hating me?" Beth blurted out, pleading in her voice.

Lily couldn't help roll her eyes. "You did what you did and you couldn't take it back," she snapped. "And once upon a time, we had been best friends. You should know better than to do something like that, knowing that I'd never forgive you for it. Or maybe you just didn't know me at all."

Mikayla swallowed hard and Lily could see that she was fighting back the tears. "Please. I…I-I'll make it up to—"

"Oh, you already made it up to me," Lily said, grinning slyly. "You made me realize what a twat Adam was. You made me closer to a person more deserving of my attention. You made me see that a certain Slytherin is better than a pathetic Gryffindor. I owe you thanks for that."

Beth was too stunned to say another word, or even to move from where she was standing.

"I'll just shower for tonight's ball," Lily announced, jumping from her seat and bursting inside the bathroom. For one moment, she considered accepting Beth. But then, she remembered about _that_ night when they caught them…

And she felt like throwing up right now.

* * *

><p>Lily glided down the stairs of the girls dormitory, Mikayla trailing behind her. She walked with confident strides, pretending to be oblivious of the stares she was getting from everyone.<p>

"Whoa," someone gasped.

Lily flashed a stunning smile. "You look dashing, Al," she complimented. It was true. Her brother's hair still looked disheveled, but instead of looking like a mess, it looked sort of attractive. He wore a midnight blue dressing gown, instead of wearing an emerald green one—the one which their mum insisted on him wearing. Ginny told him it'd match his eyes. It seemed, though, that he was matching another person's eyes tonight.

"You looked beautiful, my dearest sister," he said playfully and Lily giggled. "Although, I could say that you looked _too_ daring. I'm not quite sure I should let Malfoy see you like _that_."

Lily rolled her eyes.

It was true. Lily have chosen to look bold and daring instead of girlish and shy. She was wearing a black, halter dress. The leftmost part of her dress was just above the knees, until it flowed down the floor to the right. Her feet was wounded in strappy, black heels. Long, silver earrings hung on her ear, with a matching bracelet and necklace with rubies on them. Her red hair was up in an intricate, elegant bun, swirls of auburn hair cascading around her face. She wore some eyeliner on her face, making her eyes pop more, emphasizing the light of her hazel eyes, and put some mascara on her already thick and long lashes. She painted her lips with rose red lipstick, making her pouty lips even more pouty…and _kissable_.

It wasn't her plan to make her look like this, _exactly_. But after that small encounter with Beth, she wanted to look strong and confident, contrary to what she planned to look like tonight—little eyeliner, pink lipstick, _not_ strappy heels, no jewelry.

Well, nobody complains, anyway.

"Well, maybe you should look at the-girl-who's-eyes-you-matched-your-dress-robes-with," Lily said, grinning and leaving her brother and best friend behind her. Lily made a beeline towards the portrait hole, ignoring the stares from the boys around the common room. Adam was one of them but she found that she didn't care. Who cares if he gets envious that Scorpius Malfoy, Slytherin extraordinaire, got the better girl?

She wondered if Scorpius was already there. After all, he told her he'd wait outside the Gryffindor common room. It's only seven. Could he be there already? _He's always early_, she thought to herself and opened the door.

There he was, leaning casually against the opposite wall, looking even more gorgeous than usual. He wore gray dressing robes, matching his eyes. His blond hair was falling freely around his face, contrary to the ruffled look it had when they'd been snogging earlier.

He looked up at her and Lily saw him catch his breath, his gorgeous, almond eyes widening in awe. Slowly, Lily stepped out of the portrait hole and closed the door behind her. He walked towards her, holding her eyes. She simply couldn't look away.

Without a word, he leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. Lily responded enthusiastically, feeling instantly warm at his greeting. Scorpius put one of his hands on the small of her back, the other cupping her face. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Good thing she thought about putting a Charm on her face and hair to keep them intact for the night, or else she would've been smeared with lipstick by now.

Opening her mouth wider she entwined her tongue on his, tasting his minty breath, feeling intoxicated. His tongue felt soft, not banging on her teeth once. His hands moved down to her hips, pushing her body closer to his. That was way too sensitive of greeting your date to a ball. Not that Lily was complaining.

She heard someone open the door loudly and the two of them sprang apart. Scorpius' hand was still on her hips and Lily's fell down his waist.

"Oh."

It was Adam and Beth. Typical. They'd come out after she did.

"Hey, Lily," Adam said upon seeing her. "Hey—Lily's boyfriend."

"Hello _perv_," Lily greeted, giving him a sickly sweet smile. "And hey, _Elizabeth_." Elizabeth was Beth's real name. Actually, it was Elizabeth Antoinette Rosewood. As far as she knew, only Lily, Mikayla, Beth's parents and the school staff knew that. Beth didn't want people knowing that her name was way too _old-fashioned_. It's 2023, for Merlin's sake.

Beth sighed and nudged Adam on the ribs. "C'mon, let's go," she said in a pleading voice. Adam couldn't help the look on her face and let her steer him away from them.

Lily felt slightly horrible, doing that. She remembered when Beth and her used to tell each other about their latest crush, boyfriend, and almost everything. Mikayla used to hate talking about guys and such and Lily knew since third year that it was because she couldn't ask Albus out. Beth, on the other hand, was a carefree woman who asked anyone out with her.

And apparently, she'd gone to lengths in stealing her best friend's—or _ex_-best friend's—boyfriend, too.

Anyway, tonight wasn't the night that she had to think about _those two_. Tonight was about her and the man standing beside her.

"So," she said, "let's go?"

"Sure," he said, moving his hand and entwining it with hers. Just then, the common room opened again and a bunch of people in groups strode off together, followed by Mikayla and Albus.

"I thought you've been to the hall already," Mikayla gushed as she saw them. She gave Scorpius a small, genuine smile. "Hey, Malfoy. I see, you're here already. You look gorgeous, by the way."

Scorpius smirked slightly. "Careful, Palmer," he said in a teasing tone. "Potter might think that you fancy me more than him."

Both girls giggled. Albus merely shrugged and said, "Not gonna happen, Malfoy. Kaye's too scared to feel Lily's wrath."

"Yeah, I've got enough experience of that," Lily said dryly, referring to Beth stealing away her now ex-boyfriend. "Anyway, let's go together now. I couldn't wait to _party_!"

The rest of them chuckled and Albus and Scorpius steered the girls away downstairs to the hall.

They entered. It was sort of spooky and haunted, okay, but there was something sort of…what was the word? Enchanted. Yep. There was an enchanted look about it too, the way the firelight dances in between the fairy lights.

The four of them went over to the prefects tables. The prefects, Head boy and girl were there, others along with their non-prefect dates.

"So, milady," Scorpius said teasingly, pulling a chair for Lily to sit on. "Have a seat."

Lily giggled. "Don't bother with the formalities," she said. "I'm better off with the 'normal'."

"This is _normal_ for me," he said amusedly, taking a seat beside her and taking her hand under the table.

Looking down, Lily said, "Do you have this kind of parties 'round your place?"

"Yep," he answered and Lily looked up. "Since I was a kid, I've been forced to attend this kind of stuff."

She bit her lip. "So you can…um, _dance_?"

"Of course I can dance. I won't be a Malfoy if I couldn't," he answered, giving her a look. "Wait, so _you_ can't dance?"

Lily pouted her red lips. "Well, kinda."

Scorpius grinned teasingly at her, nudging her lightly on the ribs. "Well, let me show you how to dance, then."

"It's not yet—"

"C'mon," he interrupted, "it would be fun!"

Lily opened her mouth to respond but just then, the headmistress's voice rang through the hall and asked everyone to take a seat. With a flourish, food appeared on each table. Everyone buzzed about how overwhelming the food's taste and _design_ was.

But of course, the majority of females didn't eat _that_ much. Most girls, when Lily looked around, were taking teeny, tiny bites of food with their golden forks, but otherwise, the others were just staring in awe at them.

_Pathetic_, Lily thought, taking a spoonful of mashed potato. _Yum_.

"Aren't you afraid of getting fat?" Scorpius asked her as she shoved another spoonful in her mouth.

Lily shrugged. Swallowing it, she said, "I won't get fat."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? How so?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I always play Quidditch," she said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world—which it was. "I could eat tons of food without feeling guilty of getting fat. Not that I eat loads, though."

"Mmm," he murmured thoughtfully. "I hear almost everyone in Slytherin murmuring about how Hogwarts food made their robes seem tighter round their bellies and butts. Maybe girls there should play Quidditch, huh?"

Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You like it when girls talk about their _bellies and butts_?" she asked, taking another mashed potato inside her mouth and swallowing it.

"Maybe," he said, winking at her. "Jealous?"

"Nope," she said, smirking. "I talk about boys' rear ends all the time with Kaye."

Somewhere near them, Lily heard a splutter of drink. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Mikayla. She obviously heard what she said.

"What?" Scorpius said incredulously. "Girls do that?"

"Yep," Lily said, grinning now. "Girls criticize boys' appearances worse than boys do girls."

"So what d'you think of my butt?" he asked.

"Hey," Albus interrupted abruptly. "Will you two stop talking about _that_ while we're eating?"

"Don't listen then," Lily retaliated unconcernedly, rolling her eyes. She turned back to Scorpius. "You've got meaty butt anyway."

"What d'you mean 'meaty'?"

Lily grinned. "It means there's too much flesh on it. Like _women_'s butts."

Scorpius' eyes widened slightly, his brows furrowing in disgust.

"Tell me you're kidding."

"Er, no."

"What the—"

"Kidding!" Lily giggled.

Scorpius sighed, apparently in relief. Lily turned back to finishing her mashed potato, smiling slightly. She snuck not-so-covert looks towards Scorpius, who was eating his roast beef gracefully with his knife and fork.

Lily found it funny. It seemed easy to look at but she always found it hard to tear meats into pieces using knife. They always seemed way too solid.

And Scorpius.

He always seemed graceful and well-mannered. Even if he's always casual around her, he could make everything look so…so elegant and manly. The way he walk, talk, move, throw his hands in frustration, kiss her, _everything_.

How wonderful it was to be with him.

After the feast, the headmistress asked all of them to stand up. The round tables flew to the side of the room, leaving a huge dance floor in the middle.

"Dance with me," Scorpius said, taking her hand abruptly before she could even protest. Lily sighed as he led her in the middle of the dance floor.

Scorpius put his arms around her waist and Lily immediately wrapped her arms around her neck. This position was just like when they'd kiss randomly. A slow song started and Scorpius began to waltz her.

"Just follow it," he murmured in her ear. "Close your eyes and don't think. Just let the music take you."

"That sounds too un-Scorpius of you," Lily teased but did as he instructed. She closed her eyes and listened to the music. _One, two three…_

_One…two…three…_

_Right foot, left foot…right…left…_

She opened her eyes and stared at Scorpius. He smiled at her.

"See, I told you it wasn't that hard."

She bit her lip. "I never danced anything like this before," she said. "I mean, I sort of dance some ridiculous, crazy dances. The ones that you just have too move on a really fast beat."

"Like sort of the popular Muggle ones? Hip-hop, wasn't it?"

"Yep," she agreed. "How d'you know 'bout that?"

He shrugged. "Well, I sort of liked them, too."

Lily giggled. She couldn't imagine Scorpius doing those moves those cute Muggle dancers do. If Scorpius could dance a Muggle dance, she imagined he'd be some sort of Jazz dancer.

"What's funny?" he asked.

Lily bit her lip. "Nothing. I just couldn't imagine you dancing like that."

"Oh yeah," he said, his eyes glinting with challenge. "Try me."

Lily snorted. "Would you dance hip-hop on this kind of oh-so-sloooooow song?"

"Maybe," he murmured in her ear. "But there's something better to do in a slow song, don't you think?"

He pushed his head back, staring at her longingly. "You're so beautiful, Lily," he said and stopped dancing. Lily stopped, too, as he leaned down and caressed his lips on hers. She kissed him back softly and slowly, just like the music. His lips felt so gentle against hers if felt like he was whispering.

Pulling back, he smiled at him. "So, Miss Gorgeous, I've to tell you something."

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"I'm most fortunate guy in this room," he said, pulling her in to dance once more.

"Why is that?" Lily asked, already having an inkling at what he's gonna say next.

"Because I'm dancing the most stunning girl in this room," he answered predictably.

Lily smiled. "You know what people in America might call you?"

"What?" he asked, grinning.

"_Cheesy_."

Scorpius chuckled. "Well, is there anything wrong with that?"

"Nope." Lily grinned at him. "You know my first impression of you years ago was that you're expressionless and boring and prim and perfect and oh-so-stiff-yet-graceful."

He smirked. "You thought I was perfect?" he asked teasingly.

"That one word was meant to be sarcastic," Lily said playfully. "I thought you were perfectly uptight."

"So what d'you think of me now?" Scorpius asked, leaning his forehead on hers.

Lily lips curved into a smile. "I definitely think you aren't perfect," she said. "If you were, I'd never talk to you that first night of our patrol in the first place."

They continued dancing as another slow music played. Lily leaned her cheek on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. From where she was, she could see Albus and Mikayla in a distance, leaning in for a kiss. Adam and Beth, doing the same thing. Watching them brought back the memories, but Lily found that she didn't care anymore. At least she had Scorpius now. Her life was a hell lot better.

Lily pulled her head back and stared at Scorpius. He looked back, his eyes glistening.

"What d'you think of me the first time you saw me?" Lily asked him.

Scorpius smiled. "I never thought of anything of you when I first saw you," he admitted. "You're just a random redhead kid around. And just one of those Potters and Weasleys, that is."

"Yeah, most people probably thought of me as that…"

"On your second year, though," he continued, "I sort of had some annoyance towards you."

Lily wrinkled her nose, surprised. "Really? Why?"

Scorpius sighed. "Because, you were the first one who defeated me on the Snitch since I got on the team."

"Quidditch, huh?" she mumbled. "That's all what matters to boys your age."

"Let me finish," he said. "Last year, though, I've seen some positive things about you. Like why everyone who wasn't in Slytherin likes you and wanted to be your friend; why even with that legendary, evil temper of yours, everyone knows you're always on the good side; why you get temperamental was because when some pricks were picking at your friends. And well, I've seen how you defeat me in every game—you play because you loved to, not just to win."

Lily smiled at him, glad to hear the words that he said. "So, are you surrendering to me already?" she teased. "The match isn't in about three weeks."

"Who says I am?" he said, grinning. Suddenly, a bone-chilling, rock song played. The low lights suddenly turned wild with flashes of different colors, like disco bars and clubs Muggles party into.

To Lily's surprise, Scorpius began dancing into the new beat-up music, his gorgeous blond hair waving sexily as he bobbed his head to the beat and moved his whole body.

Whoa.

Lily felt a bit faint. She had never seen anything so…so…she couldn't even find the right word to describe Scorpius right now.

As if feeling her stare, Scorpius turned to look at him, his lips curving into a smile. "C'mon, Lils!" he yelled to her over the music. "Dance!"

"How?"

"Just move!" he said, and, without warning, he grabbed her hands and spun her round and danced crazily Lily might've been dizzy in any other day.

But she wasn't. She didn't feel dizzy _at all_. She felt so carefree and wild and exhilarated, as if she and Scorpius just snogged each other for an hour without missing a beat.

Lily couldn't help it as a laugh escaped her lips, just like how people get when they drank wine, feeling a bit tipsy.

"This is FUUUUUN!"

"I know right," Scorpius said, moving his body closer to her. Lily leaned onto him, her back on his chest, moving her hips wildly.

Scorpius suddenly wrapped her arms around her waist. Lily continued dancing as he began kissing the small of her back, up to her shoulders, to her collar bones, her throat, her jaws, and finally her lips. Lily turned her body around so their bodies were facing. She kissed him hungrily, tasting his tongue on hers. His mouth tasted like butterbeer, meat, and peppermint, and he smelled like vanilla and honey. It was intoxicating. Lily pulled back, gasping for breath.

They dove back in, oblivious to the crowds of people around them. Some where doing the same thing they were doing, anyway. Lily stood on her tiptoes, kissing him more passionately. Scorpius held the back of her neck, deepening the kiss.

They broke away, breathing heavily. Scorpius leaned his forehead on hers, staring lovingly into her eyes.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. Lily heard him perfectly even through all the noise. It was as if there was a tiny bubble surrounding both of them, making their space sound proof.

"You are, too," she said back.

Scorpius held his hand to her. "Wanna join me for a night stroll by the lake?" he asked, a playful smile on his face.

"Of course," Lily said, taking his hand. She felt instantly warm, just like the first time he'd held her hand—the time when they found Adam and Beth making out inside a broom closet. His hand was a soft pillow compared to Adam's rock-rough hand. "I'd rather you go with me than anyone else."

Scorpius led her towards the front doors, to the stone path, and down to the Black Lake. The moon shone brightly there, millions of tiny stars surrounding it.

"If you're an animal, what would you be?" Lily asked him, her eyes still on the skies.

Scorpius gave her a look but answered, anyway. "I'd be a hippogriff," he said.

"Why?"

"Because it looks ugly and terrifying on first look," he said, "but really beautiful and loyal once you've gotten over its oddity and have gotten into its good books."

Lily nodded. It was a good description of him. She never thought Scorpius was attractive until she looked closer. And she never would've thought he was fun and nice until she had talked and gotten to know him. "You know what I'd be?" she asked.

"A lion?" he surmised.

"No," she said. "I'm not _that_ Gryffindor-ish. I'd be a phoenix, I guess."

"That really fits you," he said. "You're very loyal to your friends and you're sort of burn sometimes, in quite a different way than a phoenix does."

"You mean my temper?"

"Yeah."

They were quiet for a few moments, just walking. Lily stared at their entwined hands, wondering how, all of a sudden, this happened. It's surreal to think that, less than two months ago, they were complete strangers to each other. Now, it felt like they've known each other ever since.

Suddenly, Lily saw a figure in the distance. Lily knew who it was all too well.

"Wait for me here," Lily told Scorpius and marched towards the figure.

_Am I doing the right thing? Ugh, whatever. I'm Lily and I can do this_," she thought.

Taking a deep breath, she took a step towards Beth.

"Hey," Lily said.

Beth looked startled. There were tears in her eyes but her makeup didn't smudge her face. Lily guessed she charmed it, too, to stay in place.

"Hey," she said in a hoarse voice, looking straight ahead. "What made you come here? I thought you hated me."

Lily shrugged. "Yeah, I did hate you," she said. "You were so naïve, letting Adam get to you, hurting me in the process, and acting all of a bitch around me half the time, and being a crybaby the other half, begging for my forgiveness. Honestly, that is just so _you._"

Beth looked startled. She choked back a sob and said, "Just leave, Lily. You're making me feel worse."

"What? I was just being open to you and pointing out the pathetic things you did that made our friendship sort of crack." Lily sighed. "Anyway, I'm also here to tell you I'm not mad at you anymore. You made me realize there are better guys out there."

"There are better friends out there, too," Beth pointed out. "I was never a good friend to you, Lily." She sniffed. "I always want everything you have."

Lily shrugged and put a hand around Beth's shoulder. "My life's pretty messed up at times," she said. "But you sure seem messed up right now. What happened to you?"

Beth finally turned to look at her. "Well, you sure you wanna know why?"

Lily nodded. "But, let me guess," she said. "Either Adam broke up with you or you saw Adam snogging another girl."

Beth nodded, biting her lip to keep her tears at bay. "I saw him kissing Kendra Hooligan. You know. That blonde fourth year." She sniffed loudly. "Now I know what you must've felt when you saw…you know."

"Yeah," Lily agreed, knowing that she was referring to the night when Lily caught her and Adam kissing. "But you know you're still being stupid. You should stop crying, like, _right_ _now_. He's not worth it."

Beth sighed. "I know…it's just that…I actually believed he loved me," she admitted.

Lily couldn't help it as a giggle escaped her lips. "Yeah, that really sounds like you but, not everything is fairytale, missy," she told her. "You wouldn't find your charming wizard at fifteen."

Beth wiped her tears as Lily pulled her hand back from her shoulder.

"Well, at least you've got that pretty boy," Beth said, nudging her chin towards Scorpius. "He seems to really like you, don't you think."

"It's too early to say if he's the one for me, though," Lily said, shrugging. She looked at Beth seriously and said, "If I forgive you, would you promise me you won't steal or covet Scorpius from me?"

Beth's face broke into a dazzling smile, all the anxiety and sadness in her eyes gone. She flung her arms around Lily and said, "Of course! I'd love to have you back as a friend, Lily!"

Lily couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. This was the Beth she knew. Somehow, she didn't know she missed her that much until this moment.

"I missed you," Lily told her sincerely. "And anyway, it's time for you to officially meet my boyfriend."

She led her towards the lake, feeling that the night couldn't get much better.

"Hey," Scorpius said as they reached him, kissing Lily on the forehead. His eyes, Lily noticed, were staring apprehensively at Beth.

"Scorpius," Lily began, "I know this might be weird for you since we plotted against Beth for some time and—"

"What?" Beth gasped, startled. "_Plotting_ against _me_?"

Lily shrugged, unperturbed. "You know me," she explained. "I was trying to get back on you and Adam for all that happened and I asked for Scorpius' help. The first time you saw me and Scorpius as a couple was just an act. We just really started really going out about two weeks ago."

Beth looked stunned, her mouth hanging open. After a few seconds, she let out a sigh. "That sounded like something you'd do," she said finally. "You were making Adam jealous, right?"

"Yeah," Lily admitted, straightforwardly as usual. "It worked because he tried to kiss me once. Never worked 'cause you know I can mess with boys horribly if I wanted to."

"I hope you're not messing with me," Scorpius said before Beth could respond.

Lily flashed him a dazzling smile. "'Course I'm not messing with you." She turned back to Beth. "Anyway, you're not gonna hold a grudge on me for doing that, are you?"

Beth's eyes widened. "Of course not," she exclaimed. "I've done worse to you," she added sheepishly. "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch."

Lily sighed dramatically, a smile playing on her lips. "I knew, since we've become friends, that you had the bitch in you all along. But hey, I forgive you for that 'cause Adam's such an arse."

Beth giggled. "Yeah. I'm glad I know it now than later"

"Anyway," Lily said, "Scorpius, I'd like you to actually meet Beth. Adam ditched her, snogging another pansy-ass around the hall."

Scorpius gave Beth a sympathetic smile. "Don't work yourself up for that git. He doesn't deserve anyone."

Beth returned him a smile. "Yeah. I may not deserve anyone either since I betrayed my best friend once." She bit her lip. "Maybe twice."

Lily turned sharply to face her. "What the hell?" she gasped. "Please don't tell me you're coveting Scorpius right now. I swear to Merlin I'm going to throw you off to The Giant Squid if you are."

"No," Beth said, holding her hands up. "I had a crush on Tristan Garfield back on fourth year when you first dated him," she admitted. "I was sort of jealous at you and—"

"That was why you weren't speaking to me for a week," Lily said, remembering that time during the last week of September last year when Beth was ignoring her. How could Lily not have guessed that it was because she started dating Tristan? Well, maybe it was because Tristan was a Ravenclaw and she didn't know Beth even knew him.

"I don't care," Lily said. "That was ages ago. Anyway, you need to hook up with some other guy tonight, you know. Do you know anyone single, Scorpius?"

Scorpius smirked. "Yep. And I think he might be interested in you, Rosewood."

Beth gave him a look. "If he's an ugly Slytherin, Malfoy, I swear—"

"Don't worry," Scorpius cut in. "He's almost as good-looking as I am."

"Who says your good-looking?" Beth teased playfully.

Scorpius smirked at her. "Don't tell me you don't think I'm hot."

Beth bit her lip. "I think you're bigheaded."

Scorpius seemed unfazed. "Admit it. Lily won't bite you."

Beth sighed. "Yeah, fine. Whatever. So is this guy better than you?"

"Nope. No one's better than Scorpius Malfoy."

Beth made a choking sound at the back of her throat and said, "Yeah, yeah. Just show him to me."

"Ooookay, Miss Oh-So-Impatient."

Lily couldn't help but laugh. It was ironic to hear Scorpius and Beth banter like this, as if they were good, ol' friends arguing about which is the best Quidditch team. It was refreshing to hear. And tonight, it felt as if endless things would happen.

Scorpius took Lily's hand and gestured for Beth to follow. They went back to the castle inside the Great Hall. Another slow song was playing. Scorpius searched the crowds for someone and Lily had a hunch on who it was. Her theory was confirmed when Scorpius approached a table occupied by none other than Hayden Zabini.

"Hey mate," Scorpius said. "Someone wants to hook up with you."

Beth's eyes widened in alarm. "Malfoy! What the hell?"

Both Lily and Scorpius threw their heads back in laughter. "Well, what?" Scorpius chuckled. "Wasn't that what you wanted to do?"

Beth bit her lip in embarrassment. "Lily! How could you like that guy?" She pointed at Scorpius.

"I agree," Hayden said. "How come you like him, Lily?"

Beth turned to look at Hayden and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Lily knew that look all too well. She found Hayden attractive.

Hayden turned to Beth. "By the way, I'm Hayden Zabini." He smiled mischievously at her. "So, you wanna mess around tonight?"

"She does," Lily said before Beth could respond. "She caught her boyfriend snogging a pig. And oh, that boyfriend was Adam McLaggen."

Hayden chuckled. "Ah, the guy you've been obsessing with vengeance on for a month," he said knowingly. He turned to Beth. "So you must be Lily's best friend who betrayed her for that arse." He assessed her looks and smiled a dazzling smile. "I think I might know a way to cheer you up."

Wordlessly, he took Beth's hand and led her towards the dance floor.

Lily sighed. "You know what," she said to Scorpius, "I think we should have time for 'you and I' only for the rest of the night."

Scorpius smiled at her. "I was hoping you'd say that." He led her to a shadowy corner of the hall and started kissing her passionately, his lips soft yet firm against hers. Lily felt warmth rushing through her courses instantly, melting into his kisses.

When Scorpius pulled away, Lily smiled at him. "I never want to end this night."

"Me neither." With that, he leaned down and caressed her lips on his again.

This night couldn't be more perfect.

* * *

><p><em>Hey guys! I know I haven't updated in days, but that's because I was grounded. Yep. So I kind of haven't written in days. Luckily, it's Christmas break so was able to write the whole day. I hope I didn't have <em>that_ many errors, since 'others' tend to complain. I was so overwhelmed to see your reviews, anyway._

_I won't update til' next year, anyway, so I hope you guys loved this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review!_

_Happy Holidays!_

_:)_


	9. The Best Friend Thing

_Thanks—**bellibella, Rusichan, Marrunks, hushpuppy22, SWeEt kisses AnD lOviNg HuGGs, Wolfsavior, Gryffindor1796, xxDeadInsidexx, Paniw, Sabrina Weasley-Potter, **and** Somerlia—**for reviewing the last chapter!_

_And oh, three words_: **HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Read on!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9—The Best friend Thing<strong>

The next day, Lily woke up in a daze. The events of last night came flooding back to her. Halloween. The feast. Dancing with Scorpius. The stroll by the Black Lake. Making up with Beth. Making out with Scorpius.

Lily beamed at the ceiling, hugging her pillow tight to her chest. It had been a night to remember, of course. She couldn't remember having a better time in weeks. Sure, Scorpius was always there for her, but it was good to have her friend back. Suddenly, it didn't matter to her anymore that Beth had done a very horrible thing to her. In one way, it might be unforgivable, but when you looked past it, there's just a time to forgive and forget.

And it wasn't as if Beth was stupid enough to do it again. They didn't have the chance to tell Mikayla about it, yet. Mikayla have dropped dead on her bed the moment she got in the dormitories. Lily found it amusing because Mikayla was never one to get drunk in parties, but maybe it was just because she always got drunk easily.

Lily stood up from her bed, opening the hangings, revealing two other four-posters. Mikayla was still apparently asleep while Beth was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked at Lily and gave a small, tentative smile. It was the first time Lily actually saw her in the dormitory in days. Whenever Beth was here, she closed the hangings of her bed, avoiding Lily. And when Lily woke up, she'd be gone. That was how it used to be when they were still mad at each other. Hopefully, it already changed for good.

"Morning," Lily said. She nodded her head towards Mikayla's bed. "Someone's overslept, don't you think."

"That's really odd," Beth said. "I've never even seen her _tipsy_ in a party, let alone drunk."

Lily grinned. "Well, that's a nice change, don't you think? Mikayla being a little less uptight?"

"Yeah," Beth agreed. "She always scolds us when we get too much drunk. Now look at her."

Lily sat hesitantly on the edge of Beth's bed. "So," she said. "How was it with Hayden?"

Beth's face broke into a smile. "He was really fun," she said. "But I don't think I like him as the boyfriend type. He told me him and Therese Pritchard just split up last week. He's a good company, but I don't think it'd be healthy for us to jump on one another after just going into breakups."

Lily raised an eyebrow at her. Normally, Beth would jump into a good-looking guy without question. "Were you seriously in love with Adam?" she asked. "Since when do you not jump into cute guys like Hayden?"

"Since I got cheated on by a one," Beth said. Her eyes suddenly softened. "You know, I feel so guilty right now. You shouldn't forgive me. You should…_laugh _at me right now. I've been horrible to you and I don't know how I can make it up to you _ever_. I felt really betrayed when I saw him with someone else. What more have you felt when you saw it was your best friend?"

"Apparently, I was beyond angry," Lily drawled in a bored voice. "Just forget it. Or more like, get over it. I'm over it now."

Beth nodded and touched Lily's hand, smiling. "Thanks. That's why I love you."

Lily grinned. "Well, I've got enough drama for two days," she said. "But anyway, I won't get enough romance in my life so I might as well find my Romeo."

"Huh?" Beth looked confused. "Who's Romeo? You're not cheating on Malfoy, are you?"

Lily couldn't help but broke into fits of laughter. "Honestly!" she choked. "You should've taken Muggle Studies!"

"So who's Romeo?" Beth asked when Lily calmed down.

"Oh, he's just this character in a famous Muggle literature book called Romeo and Juliet," Lily said. "But in all honesty, I still think Romeo and Juliet is pathetic."

"I still don't get you," Beth said.

Lily shrugged. "You won't get me if you don't read the book. But don't read it 'cause it might just bore you off." Lily smirked. "Or, have you been into books since you couldn't ask me and Kaye for homework?"

Beth stuck her tongue out at her. "Never. I just pay attention more to class so I wouldn't have to read the book that much."

"Hey," Lily said suddenly, her eyes sparkling. "Remember how you and Mikayla used to hit me hard with your pillows whenever I overslept after a party?"

Beth's eyes glimmered. "Yeah," she said. "I remember it _very_ clearly." She grinned. "Are you saying—?"

"That we should hit her with pillows right now until she wakes up?" Lily said. "Yep. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Lily hopped back to her bed and grabbed her pillow.

"On three," Beth said. "One, two—"

"Three!"

They dove towards Mikayla's four-poster, opening the hangings, and began hitting her. She still hadn't changed from the dress she had worn last night.

"What the hell!"

Mikayla jumped out of bed, covering her face. She opened her eyes but quickly shut them again, the sun's glare blinding her. Slowly, she opened her lids again and glared at Lily.

"What on earth were you…?" But she was cut off when she saw Beth standing with Lily. Both of them were holding their pillows. Realization dawned on her face faster than a Snitch.

Mikayla swallowed hard, opening her mouth, and closing them again. Lily thought she resembled a goldfish.

"Hey," Lily said, touching her arm. "You look like you've seen Voldemort. Chill. It's just us."

"Right," Mikayla mumbled. She cleared her throat. "So…is this what I think it is? Are two becoming three again or am I still dreaming?"

"Do we need to hit you again just to prove you're awake?" Beth said tentatively.

Mikayla shrugged awkwardly. "You've got to admit this is kind of weird. We haven't spoken to you in ages, glared at you through classes, talked behind your back. And you might've done the same thing to us."

"I know," Beth said. "It was stupid. _I_ was stupid." She sighed. Suddenly, her eyes shone with tears. Without warning, she flung her arms at both of them, engulfing them in a huge embrace. "I don't want to lose you two again. _Ever_."

When she pulled away, Mikayla said, "So, are you two going to tell me how come you made up already, or am I going to have to wait?"

Lily gave her a look. "Hate to break it to you, Mikayla, but you're still dressed _inappropriately_ and it's time for breakfast."

Mikayla rolled her eyes at her. "Wait for me here," she said, jumping to her four-poster and closing the hangings to change.

"Good thing there aren't classes today, don't you think?" Mikayla yelled through the curtains. "It's a good time catching up."

Lily had to agree. "Yes, but I had practice first thing in the morning."

* * *

><p>Albus insisted on practicing even if everyone was tired—or otherwise had a hangover—over last night's party. Nevertheless, everyone complied. Grudgingly, others may it seem, but Lily was happy for the distraction. It wasn't as if she was scared or anything but it seemed weird to hang out with Beth after swearing to Merlin to curse her forever. And though they made up, some ties wouldn't be that easy to put back again, and trust is definitely one of them. No one could blame her. It's hard to trust someone again if she did what Beth did.<p>

"Hey, Al," Lily said as she entered the Gryffindor locker room. "You pretty serious in winning the game against Slytherin, eh?"

"'Course I am," Albus said, giving her sister a look. "Aren't you?" He gave her a look that clearly said _are you going to let Malfoy win because you're so infatuated in him?_

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes," she answered dryly. "I'm not gonna let my boyfriend win, am I?"

Albus grinned. "That's the spirit! Don't let ickle Malfoy ruin my sister's game."

Lily could help but giggle. Just then, Roxanne and her best friend Paula Hollander entered the tent, followed by the Beaters Caleb and Wren. The last one to arrive was Johan. As soon as he got in, he immediately went by Roxanne's side and entwined his hands around hers.

Lily tried to hide a smile. It was clear that she missed some things that had happened during the past days because she was too preoccupied with her own little world. It was apparent that Roxanne and Johan are an item right now.

The practice only lasted less than two hours. It wasn't _that_ exhausting compared to their usual trainings. It might've been because of the fact that their bodies are already used to being beaten up that it had no effect whatsoever on them this time. Lily wondered about what would happen in the actual match. Suddenly, she remembered something that happened during last year's match of Gryffindor and Slytherin.

_"140-120, to Gryffindor!" Derek Woolf, the commentator, announced._

_It was the first match of the season, the one everyone look forward to watching. For two decades, it had always been Gryffindor and Slytherin running first and second through the Quidditch season. But for the last nine years, Gryffindor held the cup. It would be a shame if James Potter's team this year would lose over them. The points were close and the only chance of winning the match lied on the Seekers' hands._

_Lily flew higher through the air, feeling calm as she looked over for the evasive Snitch. The match had been going on for about an hour already, yet she still hadn't caught it. She had spotted it once halfway through the game but obnoxious Scorpius Malfoy had cut her in, the Snitch vanishing from her sight. She repressed all the horrible and ugly feelings she felt towards the other Seeker. She had to concentrate and not let her temper get the better of her._

_Higher and higher she flew. She saw a flash of blond hair and noted the Malfoy was doing the same. She had to be quick. She couldn't let her brothers down, especially James. It would taint his records as Captain._

_Lily inhaled deeply and hovered at a high spot in midair, her eyes darting back and forth across the field and stands. At last she found it. But catching it might be tricky. Malfoy was nearer to it and he had the edge. It was hovering near the Slytherin goal posts where Malfoy was closer to._

_But Lily could play this game. Tilting her broom downward, she went into a dive, gaining speed by each second. Within a fraction of a second, she heard a second broom following her. She smiled with satisfaction as she pulled from the dive and went in lightning speed towards the Snitch. Reaching out, she wrapped her right hand tightly around it and stopped her broom. Beaming radiantly, she raised the Snitch._

_The commentator announced Gryffindor's victory. The others went immediately back to the ground, while Lily was still on air, smiling in relief. She was caught off guard when she saw Malfoy hover in front of her, an exhausted expression on his face. Yet, he didn't seem angry or annoyed. Maybe frustrated, but no note of agitation could be seen from his face._

_"Nice game, Potter," he said._

_Lily didn't even manage to say anything else in return. She was too stunned to speak at first, at lost when she saw his stunningly gray eyes. But when she opened her mouth to say thanks, Malfoy went back to the ground, back to his team._

_Lily didn't know why but she was too dazed and a bit wobbly when she returned for the party in their common rooms. What's more is that she hadn't drunk even _just_ butterbeer._

"Lily!" Roxanne exclaimed, waving her hand back and forth in front of Lily's face. Lily snapped back to present.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "What did you say?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes at her. "Pretty boy's waiting for you outside," she said.

Lily scrambled out of the room and found Scorpius standing there, leaning casually on the wall, his hands on his pockets. He looked really cool and handsome standing there.

Scorpius looked up when he saw Lily approaching. His face broke into a dazzling smile.

"How's my princess?" he asked teasingly.

Lily shrugged, a smile tugging on her lips. "Exhausted, I guess." She looked up at him, a teasing look on his face. "So, have you been spying on my team?"

Scorpius made a faux-shocked look. "You caught me!" he exclaimed dramatically.

Lily laughed. "Honestly, you're a much better actor than I am."

"Nope." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "You fooled me that you didn't like me all those times when we were only a fake couple."

"You fooled me, too."

The two of them started towards the castle.

"Anyway," Scorpius said, "how's the best friend thing going?"

Lily shrugged. "You know, it felt awkward to try and hang out with Beth again," she admitted. "I know I couldn't trust her again. I just wanted to mend our friendship. It's boring when it's just me and Mikayla, you know."

"I could just imagine," Scorpius said. "I've always been surrounded by a bunch of knuckle-heads. The only one I really consider as a friend is Hayden."

"Are you close to his family, too?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah," Scorpius answered. "Our fathers are close. You know, with all that pure-blood stuff. I've known them ever since. Hayden has an older sister, Courtney. You might know her. She graduated two years ago."

"Oh, I do know her," Lily said. "She's that prefect who busted me for sneaking in the Astronomy tower during second year."

Scorpius gave her a look. "You were sneaking outside the castle during _second_ year?" he asked incredulously.

Lily shrugged. "Well, it's probably a Potter and Weasley thing," she said. "But it's not like what other people says—mostly Slytherins—that we sneaked out because we think we're superior here. It could be fun, you know."

"I never thought you Potters and Weasleys were superior, you know," Scorpius said. "And I know sneaking out is fun."

Lily gave him a look. "Really? Are Malfoys allowed to sneak out? Isn't it too childish or un-Malfoy-ish of them?" She barely hid a smirk.

Scorpius snorted. "Ask my dad. I bet he'd sneaked off far worse than I had during his days at Hogwarts."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure my dad was, too. Although, I couldn't be certain with James…"

"I wonder what it's like having siblings," Scorpius said quietly. "It had never been fun at home when my parents were out when I wasn't at Hogwarts yet. I don't even have cousins. My dad's an only child and my Aunt Daphne, for some reason, never married."

"Well, you grew up with Hayden, didn't you?" Lily said, nudging Scorpius. "I bet you two always played Quidditch together with your toy broomsticks."

Scorpius shook his head. "We only see each other during those boring parties our parents held," he said, rolling his eyes. "And anyway, my mum wouldn't let me use a broomstick 'til I was at Hogwarts. Even dad wouldn't. He always follows what mum says."

Lily smiled at him playfully. "At least you became good at flying easily," she said. "Although you could never be as good as me," she added, earning a smirk from Scorpius.

"I don't care, though," he said. "At least I have you."

And just before they reached the Great Hall for lunch, Scorpius leaned down and kissed her lips, before they parted ways to their own House tables.

Lily joined Mikayla and Beth on the middle of the table, hesitating a bit before taking the seat in front of them.

"How's practice?" Mikayla asked her.

"The usual," Lily said. "Exhausting and all."

Mikayla didn't reply and Lily, out of anything to fill out the awkwardness around the three of them, piled her plate with food and started eating. Evers so often, Lily and Mikayla caught each others eyes and quickly looked away. It was obvious they both found this situation odd. Beth kept fidgeting but didn't dare say a word and, like Lily, just ate and ate even though she looked like she could puke them already.

Deafened by the quietness around them, Lily finally started talking again. "Wanna do homework at the library after lunch?" she said, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind. She mentally smacked herself for being so…so uninventive. She could've come up with a better topic than that. But on one hand, she still had a Transfiguration homework for Professor Hawthorn to be passed tomorrow. If only she'd done that earlier yesterday.

"That's okay," Mikayla said. "I still haven't finished my Transfiguration essay."

"Me, too," Beth said, finally speaking up. She bit her lip and added, "Well, I tried finishing it but I guess maybe I could use some help?" She wouldn't meet both their eyes.

"Sure," Lily and Mikayla said in unison.

"Okay. That's settled then," Lily said. "I've still got two and a half inches to write."

* * *

><p>Half an hour later found Lily, Mikayla and Beth in the library, on one of the secluded corners of the Transfiguration section. They began working in silence. A very <em>awkward <em>silence. Lily couldn't remember ever being unable to talk like this for long. She was never one to keep quiet, even in a library. The only sounds were the scratching of their quills, the occasional sighs, and the echoes of footsteps of other students walking beneath those walls of shelves.

Finally, someone broke the ice. "So," Beth said in a small voice. Lily and Mikayla looked up simultaneously, both having relieved expressions on their faces. "What's the proper, er, wand _twirling_ used in Human Transfiguration?"

Mikayla immediately dove into speech. After all, it was her thing to answer questions related to school homework and classes. Even if, at some point, Lily was better at her in some classes, it was always Mikayla who knew lessons by heart. Pulling out her wand, she began demonstrating to Beth how it was done. Lily watched them. She already finished her work ten minutes after they began writing. Now, twenty five minutes later, Lily had written an additional of three inches to the two and a half she needed, making them almost six. And her cursive writing was thin. It didn't look like it but Lily was a fast in writing and thinking at the same time. She didn't even need to use the books they'd gotten out of the shelves. Everything she needed was stuck in her head.

After Mikayla finished telling Beth all about the wand movement used in Human Transfigurations, she turned to Lily. "Finished already?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," Lily said. "I told you I only needed a few more lines."

"I'm sort of finished too," Mikayla said slowly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "But you still want to write additional, don't you?"

Mikayla closed the book she was scanning. "Actually, my hands wear a little," she said, shrugging. "I think I'll pass this time." She closed her ink bottle, laid her eagle-feather quill on the table, and rolled her essay.

Lily stared at her, a bit shocked. "Whoa. I guess that's an improvement, eh?"

Mikayla smiled slightly. "I think it's fun, loosing up a bit."

Lily grinned at her. "Earth to Mikayla!" she singsonged. "You finally came to your senses."

Mikayla grinned back at her. "Still, looks like someone here needs help," she said, looking pointedly at Beth. Beth looked back, astounded that they even paid attention to her.

"Just let me read over that thing," Lily said to her, snatching her unfinished essay. "I'm getting bored out of my skull in this library."

Beth smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks."

"Yeah, well," Lily said, giving a small smile in return, "you owe me one."

* * *

><p>Later that day, Scorpius approached Lily and asked her to come with him to the path down the lake. Lily and her friends just got out of the library that time, but Lily agreed anyways. It was too dramatic to say that she needed to spend the whole time with her friends just because Beth was back with them. They were better off acting like before Lily caught Beth snogging her boyfriend. It proved to be not so easy, though, but she was sure it'll be better in time.<p>

But for now, well, it was 'Scorpius time'.

"Why the sudden interruption?" Lily asked him as they sat under the shade of the big oak tree, facing the Black Lake. "You know I'm spending time with my friends, right?" she added lightly.

Scorpius looked at her and sighed. "Don't you want to spend time with me anymore?" he asked dramatically. Lily just rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay," Scorpius said. "Well, actually, Hayden was pestering me about Rosewood."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I know," Scorpius said. "You might not know this but Hayden and Therese Pritchard were—"

"Yes, I do know that the two of them had just broken up," Lily cut in. "Beth told me so."

Scorpius heaved a sigh again. "Well, Hayden told me he sort of liked to get to know that friend of yours," he said. "But, he also told me that Beth told him that all she wanted from him was _friendship_. How does that sound like?"

Lily smiled slightly. "Remember how the two of us were at first?" she said. "We were _friends_—with a little _perks_, I daresay." She stared at their entwined hands, remembering how confused and complicated her feelings had been back then. It felt so much easier now to hold his hand without suffering internal pain that he was only her friend. "And then, we're together now."

Scorpius smiled. "Well, Hayden told me he wanted to get to know her."

"Are you asking my help to get Beth to talk to him?" Lily asked.

Scorpius shrugged. "If you're willing to…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"I'm not," Lily said. Scorpius frowned. Lily sighed and added, "I'm not that comfortable being around her yet," she admitted. "When I look at her…sometimes, I keep remembering about what she did. What she and _Adam_ did. I know it's pathetic because it's been two months since it happened, but still…"

Scorpius squeezed her hand tighter and looked her directly in the eye. "Of course you're not comfortable around her," he said softly. "You must've been really upset back then when I saw you. That's the first time I ever saw you cry and the first thing that came into my mind was 'Blimey, I don't want to be around a crying woman'…But then, when I saw your face, I thought, 'Whoa. She looks beautiful even when she's crying' and I wanted to kick myself for even thinking that."

Lily laughed. "You're just making that up!" she said, crying with laughter.

Scorpius chuckled. "No, it's true." He caressed her cheek with his other hand, a lopsided smile on his face. "But I like it better if you don't." He sighed. "And anyway, I'll just tell Hayden to approach Rosewood by himself. For some reason, he's nuts sometimes about asking a girl out."

Lily smiled teasingly at him. "Aren't you, too?" she teased, nudging him slightly. "It took you ages to actually admit that you like me, not 'fake' like me, remember?"

Scorpius glared playfully at her. "You're gonna pay for that, Potter," he said and before she knew it, he was tickling her, tackling her to the ground.

"Scorpius!" Lily screamed, giggling so hard she felt her throat was going to burst. "BLOODY—!"

But before she could finish her sentence, Scorpius stopped tickling her. Without knowing absolutely how it happened, Scorpius was lying on top of her. His face was so close she could see the blue streaks in his gray eyes.

Slowly, as if in a dream, Scorpius leaned forward and caught her lips in his. Lily kissed him back passionately, wrapping her petite arms around his neck. He smelt like vanilla and mint. Nothing smelt more intoxicating.

After awhile, Scorpius suddenly pulled away and sat up. Lily did the same and had a confused look on her face. Scorpius was inhaling and exhaling heavily, as if he just did ten laps of flying around the pitch.

Lily frowned. "Er, did I do something wrong?" she asked hesitantly. "Did I bite your tongue or something?"

Scorpius looked at him and an amused smile crept up his face. "No. Why are you asking?"

"Why did you suddenly just pull away?" Lily asked. She wrinkled her nose and added, "Do I taste like poison or what?"

Scorpius smirked slightly and slowly, wrapped his arm around her waist, sitting closer to her. "You taste like pumpkin juice," he told her.

"What's the problem, then?" Lily stared hard at him.

Scorpius bit his lip. "Er, well, I'm having...er, it's a _male_ thing," he stuttered. Lily stared confused at him. He sighed and added, "Merlin, you're _turning_ me _on_, Lily. That's what."

"Oh," Lily squeaked. "Er, yeah, you shouldn't have told me…"

Scorpius sighed and closed his eyes. "Well, I really like you, Lily," he admitted. Lily counted in her head. After twenty-seven seconds, Scorpius opened his eyes again and said, "I like you more than anyone else, so far."

"You're not just saying that because you're with me right now, aren't you?" Lily said before she could stop herself.

"No, I'm not," he answered immediately, catching her lips once more. "You're different."

"Like you could actually talk to me about Quidditch?" she asked, remembering the first time they patrolled together and he told her he couldn't get his ex-girlfriend, Therese Pritchard, to talk to him about his favorite sport.

"That's one, yes," he said. "But other than that, you're funny and don't care what people think of you. And you're beautiful with that silly, standout auburn hair." Lily giggled. "And, what's more is that you're honest. Very honest, in fact, to the point of rudeness."

"Hey!" Lily gasped. "I'm not rude. Maybe a little but whatever."

Scorpius grinned at her. "It's true and you've got to admit it," he said. "And anyway, have I told you that I really like you because you don't look at people for their mistakes? Or their _families_' mistakes?"

"You mean Beth?" she said. "And you."

"Yes," he said. "And I—"

"Hey mate," someone interrupted before Scorpius could finish what he's going to say. They both looked up. Hayden was standing there beside the tree. "Er, have I interrupted something?"

"What're you doing here?" Scorpius asked, ignoring his question. "I told you I'll meet you inside.

Hayden rolled his eyes. "Well, I've been waiting for an hour. I couldn't wait any longer."

Before Scorpius could retaliate, Lily cut him in. "If you want to get to know Beth, approach her," she said sharply. "If you want to ask her out, ask her like a man and don't use influences."

"Whoa, slow down, woman," Hayden said, holding up his hands in surrender. "It's not exactly easy to ask a _Gryffindor_ out, let alone get to know her."

"Scorpius did it," she said.

Hayden rolled his eyes at her. "Well, at least you two are prefect partners so you've got time to get to know each other."

"That's not how it works, mate," Scorpius said wearily. "I don't exactly know half about my prefect partners during my fifth and sixth year."

"But you were with Therese last year," Hayden countered.

"That wasn't exactly a fun experience," Scorpius said dryly.

Hayden nodded in agreement. "Well, I could imagine her droning about herself all night." He sighed. "Anyway, back to Rosewood."

Lily sighed loudly. "Couldn't you two even call her by her first name?" she asked. "It's not exactly that hard."

"You mean, _Elizabeth_?" Scorpius asked teasingly.

Lily glared at him. "I guess I'll just see you at dinner," she said wearily and before either of them could stop her, she marched her way towards the castle.

* * *

><p>"How'd it go with you and pretty boy?" Beth asked when Lily found them in the dorm.<p>

Lily slumped down in her bed. "Another 'pretty boy' interrupted."

"Who?" Mikayla asked.

Lily turned her gaze to Beth. "Hayden." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "He's asking for you, you know. He asked Scorpius to ask me to talk to you."

Beth frowned at her. "You're not supposed to tell me that, are you?"

"No," Lily answered, rolling her eyes. "But anyway, why make it harder when _I_ can make it so much easier?" Lily eyed Beth closely. "You know what? Why don't you just go down there and talk to Hayden? He wouldn't be that desperate to ask for help if he doesn't like you that much."

Beth bit her lip. "Er…it's just that…well, Hayden seems to be nice…but…"

"But?" Lily urged.

"But he seems to be the kind of guy who'd be like Adam!" Beth exclaimed, waving her arms around her.

Lily didn't even flinch at her exclamation. "Well, you won't know someone just by looking at him," she said. "Just look a Scorpius. He might look like a womanizer because—don't even deny it—he's really, _really_ attractive. And hot. But when I got to know him, he wasn't really like that. You'll never know, maybe Hayden is secretly romantic."

"But—"

"And look at my brother and Mikayla," Lily continued, ignoring them. "No one ever saw that one coming. Miss Goody-goody Mikayla and Quidditch Captain Albus seemed unlikely. And well, admit it. No one ever really noticed Mikayla until Albus went out with her."

"Hey!" Mikayla yelled at her.

Lily laughed. "Well, it's true. But honestly, you could be so more beautiful than Beth if you loosen up a bit." She grinned. "But you could never be prettier than me."

Both girls threw their pillows in Lily's way at the same time. Lily ducked just in time, thanking her Quidditch reflexes if she's a girl.

"What?" she asked the girls. "I was kidding! Why are you two conspiring against me?"

"Stop acting," Mikayla said, grinning. "This isn't drama class."

"Drama class?" Beth repeated incredulously. "Is _drama_ taught here?"

"If it was," Lily said, "then you'd be there now, Beth."

"Huh?"

"Well you're making too much drama by not even _trying_ to get to know pretty boy," she pointed out.

Beth sighed. "Well, I'll try then. We'll see if it works."

Both girls smiled at her. "I'm sure it will," Lily said. "I could see it already."

* * *

><p><em>Hi guys! Please don't think I'm getting lousier and lousier in updating. I just had a very long vacation. Everyone deserves a break, right?<em>

_Anyway, tell me what you think about this chapter. It's more of a filler one, but anyway, next chapter is more on Lily/Scorpius and QUIDDITCH! And oh, I've already thought of a great turn in the plot in chapter 12._

_So, I guess that's it. **Thanks for reading. PLEASE REVIEW**! =))_

**HAPPY 2012!**


	10. High

_Hey guys. I'm sorry for not updating for almost a month. I've been really, utterly, totally busy._

_Anyway, thanks to **Gryffindor1796, bellibella, Rusichan, Paniw, Debate4life, KJ, kana117, Marrunks, xxDeadInsidexx, lorinda, ksrli, I Just Roll Like That, Vinograndinka93 **and** Elwin3 for reviewing. **And to **wolfsavior**, sorry, I don't like making up imaginary brothers and sisters for the characters. I love cannon for my stories._

_Okay, keep reading now :)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10—High<strong>

The next morning, Thursday, Lily woke up but Beth was gone already. She could here Mikayla stretching behind her curtains, but there was no sign of Beth. Lily yawned groggily wondering where she was, when suddenly, the happening last night came flooding back to her.

Well, it was silly actually. Beth went out of the dormitory, out of the common room, and headed downstairs to see where Hayden was. Mikayla had already gone out to meet up with Albus. Fifteen minutes later, Beth came flooding back to the dorm, her face flushed with obvious annoyance.

"You know what?" she had exclaimed that time, plopping hardly down her four-poster that the hangings swung frenetically. "I told you Hayden and I wouldn't be a nice pair."

Lily looked at her curiously, unperturbed by her beastly reaction. "So what happened, then?"

Beth heaved a deep sigh. "Well, I heard him talking to Pritchard," she said through gritted teeth. "He was asking her if they could give it another shot, the two of them." She closed her eyes tight and opened them again. "I told you he was sort of like Adam."

Lily shrugged. "Well, he still might want to be your friend," she pointed out.

"Not a chance," Beth said instantly.

Lily rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how come Hayden changed his mind in the span of about ten or fifteen minutes. But maybe all he really wanted was to befriend Beth…er, that didn't make sense. Anyway, it was unlikely that he'd like Beth instantly, right? Well, they only met for about, twenty four hours that time. It couldn't be anywhere near serious.

Lily pulled herself away from her thoughts. Somehow, she though Beth did deserve the 'Hayden thing'. Sort of. Well, a girl would never get over the thoughts of her best friend stealing her lover away, would she? Anyway, she still had to confirm if it was true. But well, it sounded like something a Slytherin would do.

"Where's Beth?" Mikayla asked suddenly, snapping Lily out of her thoughts.

Lily shrugged nonchalantly in response. "I don't know. Breakfast, probably." She rolled her eyes and added, "Probably mourning about a boy loss."

Mikayla gave her a knowing look. "You think she deserves what happened to her, don't you?"

Lily sighed. "Yes, I do," she answered honestly. "But even if I don't, I couldn't do anything about it, could I?" Lily shrugged. "Besides, Hayden is a nice guy. He probably deserved better than…well, someone like Beth. I mean, I still don't like her entirely, knowing what she's done to me." Lily turned around so that her back was to Mikayla and began making her bed. "Well, who knows how many times she and Adam sneaked behind my back or sleep together when Adam and I were still together?"

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. "Well, why did you take her back as your friend, then?" Mikayla asked softly.

Lily turned around and faced her. "I couldn't hold a grudge forever," she admitted. "Not on a friend. I could forgive, but not entirely."

Mikayla smiled at her. "Well, at least I know you and I both feel the same towards Beth," she said.

Lily smiled back. "Shall we go to breakfast, then?" she asked.

Mikayla nodded. "Promise me one thing, though," she said.

"What?"

"Never go to Malfoy when you're leaving me alone with Beth." Mikayla wrinkled her nose slightly. "It's really awkward to try to converse with her, see."

With that, Lily laughed and led the way towards the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>During breakfast, Lily hadn't seen hair nor hide of Scorpius. And also of Hayden. They were most probably hiding somewhere Lily—or Beth—couldn't interrogate them.<p>

After breakfast, Lily, Mikayla and Beth made their way towards their first class of the day—Defense Against the Dark Arts. Their teacher, Professor Goldstein, was a cheerful man the same age as Lily's father. He was a member of Dumbledore's Army back then. It seemed like he never got over DADA.

"Settle down, settle down," he said as everyone scrambled up to their seats. "Now, our lesson for today is about—yes, Ms. Rosewood?" Everyone turned around and looked at Beth, whose hand was up in the air.

"Professor Goldstein," Beth said in a hoarse voice laced with tiredness. She coughed slightly and said in a thick voice, "I'm not feeling well. Could I…well, visit the infirmary?"

"Yes, of course," Professor Goldstein replied.

"Thanks, Professor." Beth gave a small, weak smile, then stood up, slung her bag and her shoulder, and marched out of the classroom.

Professor Goldstein cleared his throat. "Very well then, now where were we? Ah, so our lesson for today is about a very simple spell called Stunning Spell. It is very simple, yes, but it's not so easy to cast for everyone. Now who can tell me what the incantation is. Yes, Miss Potter?"

"_Stupefy_," Lily answered. _Easy one_, she added as an afterthought. Not that she would brag but her dad had secretly taught her about simple defensive and offensive spells when she was still a kid. She would sneak into her parents' bedroom when they were asleep and practice them at their house's backyard, and then return them quietly back again after an hour or so.

"Correct," Professor Goldstein said, giving Lily a smile. "I believe you could demonstrate it to us, right, Miss Potter?"

Lily grinned. "Of course, sir."

"Excellent. In front, if you may, so that everyone could see. Now d'you want to pair with—?"

"McLaggen, sir," Lily interrupted, smirking at Adam's way. He gave her a haughty look, as if Lily wasn't able to hit a Stunning Spell at him. _Watch me_, Lily thought unpleasantly. Lily might've been a forgiving person but well, she only forgives those who ask for it. And it wasn't like many would object her for punishing him.

"McLaggen, it is, then."

Adam stood up, an irking smirk on his face. He was way taller than Lily was, but anyway, this wasn't Muggle wrestling they're going to do. This is, well, _wand_-wrestling of some sort.

"Could you do the Stunning Spell, then?" Professor Goldstein asked Adam. Adam made a disbelieving noise at the back of his throat.

"Of course, sir," he answered, shaking his head as if the professor was too thickskulled to even think he couldn't produce such a simple spell.

Professor Goldstein ordered them to move about fifty feet away from each other.

"One…two…_three!"_

"_STUPEFY_!" Lily cried, aiming her wand at Adam's head. He did the same but being the thickhead that he was, didn't dodge the coming spell. The beam of red light from Lily's wand hit him squarely on the face, throwing him hard backwards and making him hit the other side of the wall. He fell down with his back on the floor.

Lily smirked in satisfaction. Stifling a laughter, he walked towards him, pointed her wand on his face, and muttered, "_Ennervate_."

Adam opened his eyes slowly, then, upon seeing Lily, glared at her. Lily flashed him a brilliant smile before turning around and back on her seat.

"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Goldstein boomed. "That was a very good demonstration, Miss Potter. And er, McLaggen, yes. Um, well, not all men get the upper hand, eh?"

The whole class consisting of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws laughed. Adam flushed with fury and flashed Lily another glare. Lily winked at him slyly before turning to Mikayla.

"Well," she said, "that was really something Beth should've seen."

Mikayla grinned. "Well, maybe that's her punishment for her 'fake-sick' scheme."

Lily couldn't help but nod in agreement.

* * *

><p>Days passed and Lily was getting more and more used to having Beth back. She was also getting used to more grueling practices everyday after classes. Scorpius told her that the Slytherins practiced before crack of dawn. Lily couldn't help but be grateful that at least she wouldn't have to wake up <em>that<em> early just to practice.

November came, making days more dark and rainy than bright, and nights colder than ever. However, both the Gryffindor and Slytherin team wouldn't stop practicing at their best, ignoring the cold weather and the tense atmosphere as both Houses, as usual, were getting more and more provocative on the other as the match came nearer.

And well, let's just say a couple here was having a petty argument, too.

On one Wednesday evening, three days before the match, Scorpius and Lily met up in the library. Both teams held off practice that day due to the storm. It was actually their first time in weeks to spend time together again. it was mostly just saying 'hi' or 'hello' or 'sorry, I'm busy' during the past days.

"Hey there," Scorpius said as Lily arrived, kissing her forehead. "How was school?"

"Boring?" Lily answered uncertainly, taking the seat in front of him. "Well, I haven't exactly been paying that much attention these days. My mind is usually on the oncoming game."

Scorpius smirked. "Already thinking about how you're gonna defeat me?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You haven't exactly defeated me in the last three years," she said. "I'm expecting the same thing to happen this year."

She said it in a teasing way that she was perturbed when Scorpius' expression changed. "Yeah, of course you are," Scorpius said in a nonchalant voice, his eyes blank. "You're Lily Potter, daughter of Hogwarts' youngest Seeker in the century. You've got his amazing skills so why could I win over you?" His voice turned really, _really _sarcastic in the end that Lily was shocked.

Lily wasn't sure how to react at first. She only teased him, after all. Scorpius should've known it. But she guessed his mind wasn't open to jokes these days because of the bloody game. He was being one of those Slytherins taunting her on the way, telling her she'd lose this.

Suddenly, hot anger bubbled inside of her, making her want to punch him so badly he'd lose his two front teeth. Clenching her fists, she said, "I've got an idea," and stood up, adding, "Let's not see each other until you stop treating me like how every Slytherins treat Gryffindors, shall we?"

She glared hard at him. He didn't even utter a single word. Furious, she grabbed her bag and dashed out of the library fast, wiping the few tears that escaped. She didn't want to actually cry about _that_. But well, Scorpius, the one who caught her when she broke down, the one who chose her even if she's a Gryffindor and he's a Slytherin, the one who made her feel special, for once, made her feel unwanted.

Lily didn't' return early to her dorm that night. She wandered around the castle first, trying to calm herself. _Scorpius will apologize tomorrow_, she willed herself. But if he didn't, well, she didn't know what to do.

Lily didn't know what time it was already when she finally made her way back to the Gryffindor common rooms. At first, she thought the room was empty except for her. But then, someone called her name and she turned around to see Mikayla and Beth slumped on the armchairs they usually sat on.

"Hey," Lily said, managing a small, fake smile. Both girls exchanged looks, knowing fully well that something's wrong.

"Do you and Malfoy have a problem?" Beth asked tentatively as Lily approached them.

Lily shrugged exhaustedly. "Sort of."

"D'you wanna talk about it?" Mikayla asked, shooting Beth a warning look, as if to say she didn't have tact.

Lily shook her head. "Not tonight." She sighed. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Night."

Lily made her way upstairs to their dormitory. The two girls followed her silently. Without saying another word, Lily closed the hangings around her bed, curling in a ball and silently crying out her frustration. She thought about how it happened—that in a few months of being with Scorpius, she would cry just because of a petty argument.

* * *

><p>Lily woke up early the next morning, her eyes heavy from last night's crying. Looking at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was only just fifteen minutes past five. She went to the bathroom and stared at her face in the mirror. She looked like a mess. Her hair was a dull shade of red and sticking up at all ends, her hazel eyes puffy, and her skin sallow. She quickly showered and somehow, the warm water made her feel relaxed.<p>

After the shower, she looked in the mirror again and saw her whole face glowing. Her eyes were no longer puffy and her hair was, well, _wet._

She changed into her school robes and dried her hair using her towel. She liked drying her hair the muggle way instead of doing it with a Drying Charm.

When her hair was already half-dry, she sat on her bed, thinking. She couldn't stop thinking about Scorpius' change of attitude. Would the coming match on Saturday make a much bigger barrier between them? Or worse, would it completely wipe out their relationship? It was stupid. If it was Quidditch that he thought of the most, even more so than Lily, then maybe Scorpius wasn't really right for her. There were those days when, somehow, Lily could see that there's a possible future with him. That somehow, when they got older, they'd still be together.

But Lily wasn't a fool to think of that. There was merely a ten percent chance that the person you are with today would be with you forever.

She sighed. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was only six o'clock. Out of nothing to do right now, she went out of their dorms, out of the common rooms, and decided to spot an early breakfast.

Mind preoccupied, she was surprised to see that her feet have carried her already to the entrance of the Great Hall. Walking in, she stared at the ceiling depicting the weather outside. The sun was just rising, making the sky streaked with crimson and gold. It was a beautiful scene, as opposed to what Lily was feeling right now. It would've been either a storm or blizzard if it portrayed her present emotions.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the Gryffindor table. Her footsteps echoed around the big hall. It was a bit creepy, walking there alone without the loud chatting and clattering of plates and laughter here and there.

She sat on the nearest seat looked down on the plate laden carefully in front of it. She could see a distorted version of her face in it, making her look more upset than she looked like. She looked away from it. Looking up, her eyes widened slightly. Scorpius was sitting there, apparently alone on the Slytherin table. He was looking at her, his gray eyes soft and melting.

Lily bit her lip. She was torn between going over there, and running as fast as she could away from the hall. From him.

But Scorpius stood up and made a beeline towards her. Lily couldn't take her eyes off him.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Scorpius finally reached her. He stood in front of her, looking nervous. Lily gave him a blank stare.

"L-Lily," Scorpius said hoarsely. "I'm so sorry…about yesterday."

Lily nodded silently, fearing that if she spoke, she'll break down into tears.

"And," Scorpius continued, "I think…maybe we should take…a little break."

Lily felt as if her heart was shattered in a million pieces. She didn't expect him to say that. She thought he was going to say that they should be together even more. Her eyes stung, but she held back the tears. It was far worse than when she saw Adam with Beth. Her pride, not her feelings, was extremely hurt that time. But this time, though, she felt so…small and fragile and vulnerable—things that she rarely felt.

Now, Scorpius wouldn't even look at her. Moments ago, he wouldn't let go of her gaze, but now, he was looking at the space behind her, his expression impassive. And yet, Lily couldn't take her eyes off him. If she could think of a word to describe this feeling, it would be _gravity_. He had the ability to pull her to him even if, right now, she didn't want to. Even if all Lily wanted to do was to run away.

"At least until after the match, let's not see each other," Scorpius added in a voice barely more than a whisper. It didn't matter, though. Lily could hear it as if it as loud and clear as yesterday's storm. "I'm sorry."

Scorpius turned his back on her. That was when Lily found the courage to respond.

"Who do you think I am?" Lily said in a strong voice. "You couldn't ask to break up with me right now and get together again after the game! Damn it, don't be such a baby and choose the hell that you want to do!"

Scorpius stopped walking but didn't look back. Instead, with his back turned on her, he said, "What're you asking me to do?"

Lily took a deep breath and, willing herself that he wouldn't look back, finally let the tears fall. Trying to control the waver in her voice, she said, "If you break up with me now, if you take another step, we couldn't be together…again."

Scorpius heaved a sigh and for what seemed like hours, he finally walked away. Lily's eyes widened, her whole body shaking. Before he turned around again, before she could see his face, Lily ran as fast as she could away from him. She went to the only place she could think at this time—the pitch.

She made her way on top of the stands, her eyes sore again from crying. When she was able to think coherently again, she remembered that either the Slytherin team would probably practice this early morning.

_They wouldn't_, she willed herself. _He wouldn't want to practice right now, would he?_

But she was wrong. Barely ten minutes after she arrived, the Slytherin team headed by Scorpius, were making their way towards the pitch. She bit her lip, trying to think of a way to escape without him noticing, but with her brilliant hair and unresponsive head, all she could think of was a way to hide.

She drew her wand out of her pocket quietly and Disillusioned herself. It was passable and she was certain no one would notice her here except if they looked closely.

Her eyes fell once again on Scorpius. He cared so much about Quidditch and winning the match that he just…left her. Lily couldn't help the tears so there was only one option. She couldn't stay here, not when he was so near and yet she could not reach him…again.

Lily ran away, walking down the path to the Lake, not once looking back. Sitting under the shade of the large beech tree she and Scorpius used to hang out sometimes, she let herself cry, knowing it was useless if she held it inside. She cried for who knows how long, but still, just like the rain, the tears stopped. She knew this was painful in the beginning, but it'll be better soon…or so she hoped.

Lily looked down in her Disillusioned palm. If she didn't look really closely to it, she wouldn't be able to notice it. Maybe it was because of the extreme emotion that brought out such good magic.

Staring into space, she saw all the things she and Scorpius have done. The time when they first talked to each other on the train and Scorpius told her they would do rounds together. The first time they had rounds together and they saw Beth and Adam together. Lily broke down into tears but Scorpius didn't once thought of leaving. The day they had first became a fake-couple. Their first fake date in Hogsmeade and she took him to the Shrieking Shack. The day they became a real couple and she was so overcome with bliss. The Halloween Ball when he was there by her side all night, kissing her, or else just holding her hand.

These memories written in less than three months…they were too hard to forget. Before she knew it, tears formed in her eyes once more, blurring her vision. A sound made her turn around, biting her lips so her sobs wouldn't escape. She almost fainted upon seeing who it was.

It was Scorpius. And he was _crying_. He had his face between his knees but from the gap between them and the choking sounds, Lily was sure that he was definitely, absolutely, crying. That made her feel relieved. To see that he was also hurt because of this. And yet, she suddenly felt a twinge of anger. If he was also hurting, then why leave Lily like this? She wanted to him but she couldn't. That'd mean letting him know she's here. She didn't want to leave, though. This might be the last chance to be with him. She didn't care how much hurting she'll pay for later for this.

Lily stared at him, thinking he'd leave soon. But he didn't. She didn't know what time it was, or how long it was already, but he stayed like that, his face hidden between his knees.

The bell rang, signaling lunch and finally, Scorpius looked up. Unbelievably, his eyes didn't look that soar. On the contrary, it still looked the same, although, maybe it looked colder. She shivered. For one moment, he thought his eyes met hers. And as much as she hated it, tears fell once again down her cheeks.

Scorpius stood up, oblivious to her presence. She thought he was going to leave, but then she was shocked when he suddenly hit the tree with his fist. She could see tears falling from where he stood.

Lily knew he deserved this. He deserved to feel the way she felt, or even worse. And yet, she couldn't help feeling the urge to come over to him and tell him it would be okay. She felt really stupid, sitting there hidden, watching him, feeling emotions like she never had before. She was never the one to feel so much for a boy, but this time, she knew it was different. Scorpius wasn't just a random boy who falls for her because she was a Potter. During those two precious months of getting to know each other, and a month of relationship, Lily felt like she knew him already, and she felt like he knew her, too.

But still, Lily thought he must not have known him well enough that she was taken aback by him acting this way. Why would he break up with her because of Quidditch yet he's breaking down here, at the same place as she was, hidden by her spell.

Well, Lily thought she was very well hidden, but she was quite mistaken.

"You won't even leave, will you?" Scorpius shouted, his eyes darting straight to Lily's. Her eyes widened in shock. She couldn't even bring herself to look down to see if her spell was still working. His eyes were so intense it held hers in place. "Why won't you run away from me? Why won't you hit me with a damn spell? WHY? I deserve it!"

Lily gulped, wanting to say something but no sound came.

"P-Please…" Scorpius choked. He closed his eyes, his knees breaking down, making him sit on the ground beside Lily. Opening his eyes, he looked straight to her, tears falling down his cheeks. "Please…say something."

"Why?" Lily finally found herself saying. "Why do you have to do that to me? What're you? A coward? Are you scared to lose over your girlfriend that you'd rather dump me in the middle of no where than lose? Or have you imagined me mocking you when you've lost? I'm confused, Scorpius. Why would you do something like that? Tell me. I'd listen just this once." Lily closed her eyes, a huge lump in her throat gone after saying all that.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius whispered. "I didn't mean to make it look like that but…I don't know what came over me. I didn't know what I was saying at the time and…Lily, I didn't really mean it. I'm really sorry for what I've said."

Lily heaved a sigh of relief and asked again, "Then why did you…sort of…break up with me?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I don't know. I don't really know what I was doing. It was like…someone's messing with my head but I swear, Lily, I never, ever want to break up with you. Not in a million years. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you."

A lone tear slipped from Lily's eye. She smiled. She knew he was sincere. And she wasn't ready to give him up just because of her pride today. At least it didn't even last more than six or seven hours.

"Lily."

"Yes?"

"Could you show yourself now?"

"Why?"

"I want to do something."

"I think I know what it is," Lily whispered, tapping her wand on herself. She became visible again and Scorpius smiled. Putting both hands on either side of her face, he caught her lips on his. Lily pulled him closer. They kissed with such passion that none had ever shown before. And underneath that passion was, well, _love._ They just didn't know it yet.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday morning and the Gryffindor and Slytherin team were already eating breakfast while the rest of the student body were still dwelling with their nightly dreams.<p>

"You sure you're okay, Lils?" Albus asked her sister. "You sure look pale."

Lily nodded slowly, not daring to look into her brother's eyes. "Yeah," she said. "I'm fine."

Albus patted her on the back in a brotherly way. "Don't worry about Malfoy," he said. "Just don't think he's your boyfriend during the match. Think of him as your opponent just like those previous years."

"Yes, I'll do that," Lily said, rolling her eyes. Albus could be so dramatic sometimes. But well, maybe he had a point.

"You look pale," Albus added.

"Al," Lily said, turning around to face her brother, "stop fretting, will you? It's making me more nervous."

"You were never nervous before a game," Albus countered, crossing his arms. "Not when you weren't with Malfoy yet."

Lily rolled her eyes. "What'd you do if you and Mikayla were on opposing Houses, opposing Quidditch teams, and both on the same position as Seekers?" That shut him up. "See. I told you it's not that easy. But I promise I won't let you down." She gave him a brilliant smile, assuring him that it'd really be fine.

"C'mon, let's go," Albus said to the team. They all rose from their seats, nervous yet excited looks on their faces as they all thought of what was coming in a few hours.

Lily stood up last, turned around and looked over the Slytherins. Her eyes caught Scorpius and she gave him a small smile. He smiled at her in return and Lily turned around to join her team.

* * *

><p>"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"<p>

Lily couldn't believe it. She landed down on the ground feeling daze. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what happened that made them win.

_Slytherin was already up, leading 350-290. They led by sixty points. It was amazing how they had improved since Lily last saw them. And what was more shocking was they didn't cheat like they did before. They played nice and clean. Lily could see Albus fuming as he held the Quaffle tight between his arm and chest._

_She snapped her eyes out of it. She should be looking for the Snitch. She should find it first before the other team Seeker does or they'll lose._

_She put herself into focus, her eyes darting around the pitch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of blond hair diving downwards. It was…_

_"Scorpius."_

_The word left her as she followed him, diving straight downwards, feeling the adrenaline rushing through her. She was gaining speed but was still a feet from him. Scorpius was stretching out his hand for victory but, Lily feeling suddenly determined, accelerated her Firebolt more, despite that she might hit the ground. Stretching out her hand, she reached out for the Snitch. They were neck and neck now, but Scorpius had the edge because his arm was longer._

_But then the Snitch dove further down, just a foot from the ground. If they continued, they would definitely crash._

_Scorpius pulled upward. Lily didn't. She heard him calling out her name but that didn't stop her. She reached out for the Snitch and before she crashed, she closed her eyes, trusted her broom, and pulled up. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was still…whole. No bleeding, no broken bones, no anything._

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" she heard again.

She walked down the ground, her broom on one hand, the Snitch on the other. Before she could help it, tears fell down her eyes. She won. They won. They definitely won. She wiped down the tears and looked up. Everyone was landing down, getting out of their brooms, but it was Scorpius she had her eyes on. Would he be mad? Well, she'd give him a kick if he were.

"Lily, what the hell!" Scorpius exclaimed as he landed in front of her. "Are you insane? You could've crashed your whole face down there, you woman! Arrrgh!"

Before Lily could snap at him, Scorpius leaned down and kissed her. In front of everyone. Lily was shocked but closed her eyes nonetheless.

Scorpius pulled away and Lily looked at him.

"You're not angry?" Lily asked.

"Of course I'm angry," he said, caressing her cheeks with his hands. Lily wanted to really kick him now. He should've been happy for her that she won, right?

"Well, you're angry then why are you here?" Lily asked.

"I'm angry because I was worried you'd crash your pretty face on the ground, remember?" he said in her ear. "But still, congratulations. You won. Again."

With that, Lily laughed.

* * *

><p><em>I know this isn't my best chapter, but review anyways. And pray for me 'cause I've got this econ quiz bee tomorrow. That's the reason I've been a slack in updating this. I've been studying for a month and it's been really…draining.<em>

_Anyway, thanks for reading._

**_PLEASE REVIEW_**_ :)_


	11. New

_I hope none of you will be disappointed with me this time after reading this chapter. I've really, _really_, done what I could in this chapter...half the time. :). eeep. I'm really stressed with all the events and practices here and there and I barely had time to write something. Anyway, patience please. :D_

_And oh, thanks to **dracolover, I Cannot Wait Until March 23rd, Rusichan, kana117, Debate4life** and** ShortSC22 **for reviewing the last chapter. I really think it's the worst chapter I've posted so far so please do forgive my...er, aimless writing? Yep. Thank you!_

_Read on!  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11—New<strong>

December came in at Hogwarts at the same time with a blanket of snow. The usually green grounds were now snow-white. It was colder than ever inside the castle. Students wore more layers to prevent catching cold.

What was more?

It wasn't just snow that came in the month of December. The Headmistress asked everyone to gather in the first Saturday of the month because she had an 'announcement' to make. And from her tone of voice, it seemed of some importance.

"What d'you think she's gonna say?" Lily asked Mikayla as the two of them walked towards the Great Hall. It was still early morning but the Professor McGonagall's voice rang through their ears, making them unable to sleep. It was like someone was shouting inside their heads.

"I don't know but it seemed really important," Mikayla said. "She wouldn't have woken up the whole school just for some petty announcement. Anyway, where's Beth?"

Lily shrugged. "No idea. Anyway, maybe she had woken up early today."

They entered the Great Hall and took their seats. Beth was, predictably, there.

"Where've you been?" Mikayla asked her.

"Here and there," Beth answered tersely. "Anyway, what do you think will McGonagall announce?"

Both girls shrugged. Lily looked around. The Great Hall was bustling with students chatting curiously about _that_ announcement. Three seats away, she heard a first year Gryffindor telling her friend enthusiastically that it might be about letting first and second years to go to Hogsmeade. And in front, on the Hufflepuff table, she overheard a girl telling a guy in front of her that maybe McGonagall would resign.

Lily shivered a bit, not because of the cold, but because of what the girl had said. Last time that Lily saw the Headmistress, she looked older, but well, still strong. She wouldn't step down from her position, would she?

At last, McGonagall stepped into the platform where all the professors and staff were sitting. From the looks on their faces, it seemed that they already knew what was going to happen. Lily looked at Hagrid. He didn't seem sad so it was a good sign that McGonagall wasn't resigning.

"Good morning everyone," the headmistress said. An eerie silence followed. "Before everything else, I am delightful to see you all here, even though some of you still looked a bit tired and ruffled." Her hawk eyes zeroed in on Adam, who was yawning hugely in front. Lily bit back a giggle. "Now, I know all of you are curious as to what announcement I am going to make. It wasn't first at Hogwarts that this has happened, but this had last happened about a hundred years ago."

Murmurs spread around the hall. Lily and Mikayla exchanged looks. McGonagall cleared her throat. Lily looked in front again and was taken aback to see McGonagall smiling. It was a rare feat.

"I am not talking of a grave thing if that's what you think," she continued. "And well, it had been a tradition that this be taking place before breakfast that's why I called all of you right at this very moment."

She snapped her fingers and a four-legged stool with a ragged black wizard's hat on top of it. Lily's eyebrow's snapped up. She knew that hat very well. It was the Sorting Hat.

"There are new students to be Sorted at this time of the year. They aren't suited as first years but still, they need to be Sorted."

Two blondish students came out from the door on the side of the platform—a girl and a boy. And from the looks of it, they were siblings.

"Nicole Evans," Professor McGonagall called. The girl stepped in front and placed the hat on top of her. After a few seconds, the hat called, "Gryffindor!"

The girl beamed and practically ran towards their table.

"Aidan Evans." So Lily was right. They are siblings.

The boy was sorted into Gryffindor, too. The Headmistress seemed satisfied that the two were sorted into her own House.

"You may now eat."

Lily turned around to give the blonde girl, Nicole, a look. She was already chatting with everyone around, including Adam. Lily rolled her eyes. She didn't want to make assumptions about Nicole but she got irritated it was Adam she first talked to. She sighed and turned back around to her seat.

She jumped slightly in surprise to see someone leaning and staring curiously in front of her. It was that other blond, Aidan Evans.

"Hello," he said, beaming. He was, well, good-looking. His almond-shaped eyes were a light, icy shade of blue. His nose was just right. His face was smooth, and his blond hair—it reminds her a bit of Scorpius. "I'm Aidan." Lily just looked at him. There was something different about the way he talked. "Did I startle you?"

Lily shrugged. "A bit. Why were you leaning on the table like that, staring weirdly at me?" She grinned at him. He seemed friendly enough.

"So what's your name?" he asked again in that different…sort of…._accent_.

"I'm Lily," Lily said. "Are you from USA?"

Aidan grinned. "You caught me! Yep, that's where I came from. I'm from New York. Have you ever been there?"

Lily shook her head. "I've never been to anywhere other than Europe."

"You should go there," he said. "It's fun."

Lily smiled slightly, biting her lip. "Well, you should know it's more fun in Europe."

Aidan snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, yeah," he said sarcastically. "I don't think so."

"You haven't been around Europe yet, have you?" Lily said. "It's amazing."

He merely rolled his eyes. "Lily," he said, shocking her a bit, "I. Don't. Believe. In. Lies." He grinned. Lily smiled back. She could definitely get along well with him. She didn't realize her two friends were staring at her until Mikayla pinched her arm under the table.

"Ow. What the—?" She gave her a look.

Mikayla nodded towards the Slytherin table. Lily's eyes moved straight to Scorpius. He was staring at her with a hard look on his face. Lily tried to give him a reassuring look but he looked away.

Lily sighed.

"Have a problem?" Aidan asked suddenly.

"Nothing."

Lily piled her plate with food and started eating. Scorpius didn't happen to be jealous, did he? If he were, she'd give him a good kick in the arse. Aidan was just a new student who happened to talk to her in a friendly manner. There was no reason for him to be jealous.

"Hey."

Lily jumped slightly again.

"Stop startling me like that," Lily said, breathing hard.

"What's the matter?" Aidan asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I get surprised easily."

Aidan sighed, rolling her eyes. "No, I meant, what's the matter with your mood? You seemed suddenly in a bad mood?"

"Nothing. It was just some stuff."

"And I guess it's too personal," Aidan said in a very serious voice, yet his face was…humorous.

Lily couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Shut up," she said.

"See. I could make you laugh. Stop being a bipolar."

"I'm not a bipolar," she countered. "But I think it's best that you talk to someone else or someone will definitely strike at you."

Aidan grinned. "Oh. So Miss Lily has a boyfriend, huh? I wonder where he is…"

"You'd better watch your back because he's just behind," Beth said.

Aidan turned around and back again. "Which table?" he asked.

Lily sighed and stopped listening to them altogether. She kept eating, thinking about whether she should come over to Scorpius or ignore his petty assumptions. She sighed and decided to do the former. She didn't want another row.

Standing up, Lily made a beeline towards him. He raised an eyebrow at her but she continued. Who cares? She had done this before.

"Hey," Scorpius said, moving to give space to her. Lily sat there and said, "Don't get jealous of Aidan, okay? I just met him for like, ten minutes, you know. He just seems fun."

Scorpius gave her an innocent look. "Who says I'm jealous?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You can't fool me, _Malfoy._ You wouldn't have eyed us suspiciously if you weren't." She smirked at him. "Don't make silly assumptions. You're still better-looking at him, anyway."

Scorpius gave a faux-pout and said, "So you're saying he's good-looking, too."

"Yes." Lily giggled. "Girls like good-looking boys, you know. Just like you guys like sexy girls."

"Yep," Scorpius said. "I like you because you're _sexy_."

Lily slapped his arm, giggling furiously. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

Scorpius grinned, wrapping an arm around her. "But you _are_ sexy. Really, really, really—"

But before he could finish it and add that 's' word, Lily leaned forward and interrupted him with a kiss. Scorpius kissed her back passionately, regardless that they were on the table, being watched by Slytherins.

And well, it weren't just Slytherins watching them. When Scorpius pulled away, his eyes went straight towards the Gryffindor table, meeting a pair of almond-shaped, icy blue eyes.

* * *

><p>Lily went back to the common room, having promised Mikayla and Beth that they'd do homework together. They went up to their room to gather their things when something—or rather, <em>someone<em>— stopped them.

"Hello."

It was Nicole, Aidan's sister. She had the same blond hair as her brother but her eyes were brown. Her nose was a bit different and her lips were pouty. She looked gorgeous, alright.

"Hi," Lily said tentatively."You're Nicole, right? I'm Lily, and this is Mikayla and Beth."

Nicole smiled at them. "It's good to see you, girls." Her eyes moved to Lily. "I saw you hooking up with my brother a while ago."

Lily almost spluttered in surprise. She stared long and hard at Nicole. Like before, she didn't know what to make of her. "That wouldn't be called hooking up," Lily said nonchalantly, not letting her sudden anger get the better of her. "If you're witty, you'd know that it was called 'friendly chatting'. Why the hell would I hook up with someone I _just_ saw."

Nicole shrugged. "Don't you? I mean, I do it all the time."

There was such a serious look on her face that Lily was certain she was telling the truth. She did hook up with someone she _just_ saw, and all the time. Lily could only think of one word to describe what she thought of her. _Bitch_.

Beth cleared her throat. "Er, aren't we doing something?" she said loudly.

"Yes," Mikayla said. "C'mon, girls."

They gathered their book bags and got out of the room when Nicole called them. "D'you girls have some lip gloss?"

With that, they ran down the stairs as fast as they could.

"Such a snag," Beth said. "I wasn't even that…whatever."

They took their seats and started working on their Potions essay. After fifteen minutes, Lily was halfway through it when someone tapped her on the back. She turned around and saw Aidan hovering there.

"Hey Lily," he said. "What're you doing."

"Homework," Lily said tersely.

"What subject?"

"Potions."

"Nicole said the three of you were mean to her."

With that, the three girls turned around furiously.

"What the hell!" Beth snapped angrily. "Why would we have done that? We didn't even know her, except her bloody name."

Aidan shrugged. "Yeah, sorry," he said. "It's just what she said but Nicole was sometimes like that. If she didn't like someone, she'd lie about them.

Lily sighed. "Then tell her to shut up," she snapped. "Who's older than you two, anyway?"

"No one," he said. "We're twins, see. Not identical, though."

"Yeah, because you're blond, and she's a hag," Beth muttered under her breath so that he wouldn't hear.

"Anyway, where is she?" Mikayla asked. "Maybe we could talk to her or something."

Aidan scratched the back of her head. "Er, she's…um…well, she's right there." He pointed on one corner of the room. Their mouths dropped. There, sitting on the loveseat beside the window, were Nicole and Adam, snogging the daylights out of each other. Nicole was sitting on Adam's lap, her hands raking up through his hair. Their mouths were open and Lily was certain there were tongues involved.

Lily felt like vomiting. How the hell could this girl snog with someone just like _that_? She wasn't even certain that Nicole knew Adam's name.

"I think I'll go find Scorpius," Lily said quietly, tasting vile in her mouth. Flicking her wand to put her things back to her room, she put on her coat and went out of the common room to find Scorpius.

She walked out fast, searching for him everywhere but had given up trying because he might've been in their common room. She was about go back when he, on the other hand, found her.

"Lily!"

"Oh, hey."

"Palmer—I mean, Mikayla said you came to find me."

"Er, yes."

Scorpius held her hand. "Is anything wrong?"

Lily sighed and nodded. "I'll tell you later," she said dismissively. "But first, let's find a perfect place to talk."

She led him to the seventh floor corridor, inside the Room of Requirement. The room turned into a miniature Gryffindor common room, just like Lily wanted.

"Have you been here before?" she asked him.

"Yes," he answered. "My father told me about it. The last time I went here was last year." They sat on the couch in the middle of the room with their legs up. Scorpius wrapped an arm around Lily. "So what was it you're going to say?"

Lily bit her lip. "Well, it's about that other new student, Nicole."

Scorpius looked down at her, frowning. "Did she do anything to you?"

"Not really…" She sighed. "Well, from what I've perceived earlier, she's a snag. And I think she likes boys too much."

"How d'you know?"

Lily told him what she saw and what Aidan said about her. Scorpius gave her a squeeze.

"And she's staying in our room!" Lily whined. "I really think we won't get along."

"It's gonna be a disaster," Scorpius agreed, probably referring to Lily's famous temper.

"If she didn't shut up, it will really be war."

Scorpius looked at her. "Maybe you could at least try to befriend her. You'll never know. She might just change her moves."

"If I don't puke seeing her, maybe," Lily said. "And well, have you seen her. She's really pretty. I think boys would fawn over her. I could just see it."

"Yes, she is," Scorpius agreed lightly. Lily glared at him. He laughed. "Well, you're certainly prettier than her. You're utterly beautiful, after all."

He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly. "Don't worry about her just now. At least I wouldn't worry much because you'll get less attention if she wanted the limelight. I could have you on my own."

Lily giggled. Yep. That was definitely a bright side. If Nicole was really that showy, then boys would definitely fall for her, not for Lily-the-beautiful-yet-temperamental-woman anymore.

"I think that'd be a good change," she said in agreement, "except if you're one of the boys who'd fall for her."

Scorpius pretended to think. "Maybe? You'll never know."

Lily laughed. It was obvious he'll never like her. Scorpius didn't like daring, flirty girls who only thought about their lips and lip gloss.

"Yeah right. She's definitely your type," Lily said sarcastically.

Scorpius smirked. "Hot, sexy, daring women are definitely my type," he said teasingly, nudging her. "Just like the girl beside me right now. Definitely hot."

Lily giggled. "Yep. I'm hot, alright," she said, laughing. "And anyway, it's getting a bit hot. I'll just take some layers off."

Lily took off some clothes until all that's left is a black long sleeve T-shirt and a pair of muggle jeans. She folded the others and put them on the table beside her. "Aren't you feeling too…er, warm?" Lily asked Scorpius. He still wore all those layers, except the coat which he hung up earlier near the door.

He smirked. "I never thought Lily Potter would ask me to take my clothes off," he said dramatically, grinning at her.

"Shut up," Lily said, smiling nonetheless. "If you want to sweat then keep on wearing them."

"Alright, alright… If you insist…" He took of his jacket and threw it on the table. Lily almost spluttered in amazement. Scorpius also wore the same clothing as Lily's—black long-sleeves and denim jeans. "Now we're matched."

Lily grinned, nodding in agreement. Scorpius wrapped both his arms around her this time and Lily cuddled into him. His body felt a bit like…stone. It was probably because of all those Quidditch trainings that his body was developed…like this.

"Could we stay like this for a while?" Lily muttered against his chest.

Scorpius kissed her forehead and said, "Of course, I'd love to."

Lily smiled. It was a great feeling, being hugged like this. Probably even better than when she and Scorpius were kissing.

"What's your favorite color?" Scorpius asked suddenly.

Lily looked up and gave him a look. "Why are you asking?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I just wanna know, I guess," he said. "Is it red?" he added, a playful smile tugging on his lips.

Lily shook her head, sticking out her tongue childishly at him. "Nope."

"Then what is it?"

Lily grinned mischievously at him. "I won't tell you."

Scorpius smirked at her. "Oh really? Then I guess I'll just have to get it out of you." Without warning, Scorpius began tickling her furiously.

Lily yelled in laughter. "S-STOOOOP! Aaaargh!" she giggled. "What. The. Hell! Fine! I'll. Tell. You!"

Scorpius stopped tickling her, grinning triumphantly. "So? What is it?"

Lily took deep breaths, glaring at him. "You know how ticklish I am!" she yelled at him, pouting.

"You're avoiding the question," Scorpius said, crossing his arms, unperturbed by her sudden temper.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not. It's red, for your information."

"Red?" Scorpius repeated. "Really? That a joke?"

Lily glared at him. "Do I look like I'm joking? Of course I'm not. It's red, _red, _RED!"

"You're really that loyal to Gryffindor, huh?" Scorpius said. "Or is it just because of your hair?"

Lily crossed her arms. "Shut up. I like red. End of story."

Scorpius grinned at her despite her change of mood and wrapped her in his embrace again. She didn't resist but she didn't hug him back either. She just sat there, stiff as board. Scorpius pulled away from her on arms length and gave her a look.

"What's with the mood?"

"Nothing."

Scorpius sighed. He looked at her for a few moments before wrapping Lily in his embrace again, kissing her forehead, then her nose, her ear, and finally her lips. It was just one soft kiss before Scorpius pulled away.

"Better?"

"A bit," Lily said with a hint of a smile.

Scorpius leaned forward and kissed her again, longer and more passionate this time.

He pulled away and said, "You know you could just ask if you want a kiss from me."

Lily laughed. "Shut up. You're so full of yourself already."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her. "At least I didn't get mad for no reason."

"I've got every right to get mad because you tickled me when—" Lily stopped, suddenly embarrassed.

"When what?" Scorpius prodded.

Lily sighed. "When I have my…my period, okay?"

Scorpius bit his lip. "Oh. Right. _The Red Thing_," he said awkwardly. "Er, how d'you feel?"

"I'm fine," Lily said, smiling. "I think your kiss made it feel better," she pointed out.

With that, Scorpius leaned in once more and kissed her.

* * *

><p>Lily returned back to the common room after Scorpius said that he had some homework to do. She would've preferred to wander around the castle this time but with the unusually thick blanket of snow, she couldn't. And she felt like a coward if she stayed in the Room of Requirement.<p>

Entering the common room, the first person she saw was Hugo, calling out her name. She went straight towards him, wondering why he suddenly wanted to talk to her.

"Hey Lils," he said. "Is Nicole really in your dorm?"

Lily nodded, rolling her eyes. Of course Hugo would be fawning over the new pretty girl, too. He was just like Uncle Ron.

"Yes, apparently," Lily said in a bored voice. "Is that all?"

"Er, Lils…could you introduce her to me?"

Lily rolled her eyes, wanting to just kick her cousin really, _really_ hard.

"Do it yourself," Lily said and without waiting for Hugo's response turned around and went straight towards their dormitory. She went upstairs, opened the door with a number five, and almost died in shock of what she saw. It was Nicole, rummaging through her things, oblivious to her presence. Merlin, she had only been here in less than twenty four hours.

Fury slashed through Lily. Never, not once, did Mikayla or Beth look through her things without her permission. And _this_ girl thought she could?

She made a beeline towards her, her hand in her pocket, holding her wand.

Nicole looked up and upon seeing who it was, she paled. "Er, d'you have some lip gloss?" she asked tentatively.

Lily glared at her. "Why the hell are you looking through my things?" she asked in a quiet voice, trying to control her anger.

"Er, like I said. I was trying to find your lip gloss."

"Couldn't you have asked for my permission first?" Lily said furiously, pulling out her wand. For a second, she thought of hexing her. But then, she pointed her wand at her things instead. They returned to their right places instantly. Then, Lily yelled furiously, "_Accio lip gloss_!" It zoomed instantly in her hand. Nicole smiled tentatively at her.

"Can I borrow it?" she asked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Haven't you even thought of summoning it?"

"Er, no. I don't know how to use the Summoning Charm."

Lily couldn't believe it. This girl wasn't only a prissy, but was also…well, dumb. Lily sighed. She would really have a hard time coping up with her.

"Here," Lily said, handing over her lip gloss. She rarely used it, but this girl looked like she could finish it within a week. "Don't go overboard."

Nicole smiled. "Thanks. And sorry for…er, searching through your things."

Lily smiled back, taken by surprise that the girl could say 'thanks' and 'sorry'. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't half-bad. Just…bitchy.

Lily went downstairs again to find Mikayla and Beth, and partly just to give Nicole some space.

She found them immediately but before she could even join them, someone blocked her way. She looked up and saw that it was—

"Aidan," Lily said in a tired voice. Wouldn't the twins give her some…er, _space?_ Not that Lily hated them in an instant, but still…

"Um, can I ask you something?" Aidan said in that American-accented, troubled voice. "Please, I think I really need your help."

Lily crossed her arms. Why the hell would he need her help after just getting here?

"What d'you need my help for?" she asked.

Aidan bit his lip, looking troubled. "Look, I know my sister got a really bad first impression on all of you, including the younger and older students, but could you give her a chance?"

Lily sighed. "I've been thinking about that earlier," she said. "I'll try, I guess. Although what I hated most was seeing Adam making out with a girl when the whole world was watching. It gives me goose bumps and grosses me out. That shouldn't have been the first thing a girl should do when she meets someone, you know. Who'd blame me for looking at her in a negative way?"

"Yeah," Aidan sighed. "I guess you're right. But just try to understand her. She does have a problem about that…"

"What d'you mean?"

"Nothing. Just be kind to her."

Lily shrugged. "Anything else you need?"

Aidan nodded. "Could you…er, talk to me? I find it awkward to talk with the other boys…"

Lily gave him a look. "What're you? A gay? Or d'you have phobia for boys just like your sister has addiction for them?"

Aidan scowled at him. "I guess I'll just have to befriend other, nicer people around."

Lily laughed at him. "Shut up. I was kidding. C'mon, then." She turned around, expecting to see Beth and Mikayla still sitting on their earlier places but to her surprise, they were gone.

"Hey Timothy, have you seen Mikayla and Beth?" Lily asked her fellow prefect.

"They just went outside," Timothy replied.

"Oh, okay."

Lily sat on the couch beside Aidan, feeling awkward without her friends. "Er, are you shy to talk to someone else?" Lily asked him. "I could introduce you to them if you'd like."

Aidan shook his head. "Don't introduce me now. I'm sort of not in the mood. Especially since that Adam is…you know."

Lily nodded. "Yep. Adam's an arse."

Aidan turned sharply to look at her. "I couldn't help but notice that you've got some anger towards him," he said, sounding more concerned with his unusual accent.

Lily thought of whether or not to tell him about it. She didn't know him that well, after all. But still, she felt at ease with Aidan, opposite with what she felt toward his sister. And anyway, he'd probably know about it soon. "Well, I loathe him," she said. "He was my boyfriend till last September and…well, I guess you could just think of the rest."

"Oh." Aidan looked at her. "Um, I wouldn't sympathize because it's been months and you've got that other blond boy already, right? And anyway, who wants pity from me over some loser named Adam?"

Lily grinned at him. She could definitely befriend this type of guy. He seemed easy to get along with and the way he talked was sort of…fun. It wasn't just the accent but there was definitely something about him…

* * *

><p>A week had passed since the arrival of the two new students at Hogwarts. And well, their popularity status was already zooming upward. In those mere seven days, Nicole became an instant number one on the majority of male's hottest girls list. And well, although Aidan wasn't as showy, he gathered attention from girls from all Houses. And that includes Slytherin. It was probably because he didn't have instant hatred towards the House that girls there grew a fancy on him, too.<p>

And that included Claudine Selwyn. Lily laughed her stomach out when Claudine approached him during their first time in class and introduced herself. Claudine asked him if he wanted to pair up with her in Potions but was rejected instantly. He paired with Hugo instead. He and Hugo became instant friends after a night of stay in their dormitory.

And well, Nicole wasn't that useless. She dumped Adam even before the week ended. For all Lily knew, it was the first time Adam got dumped by a woman because of, well, _nothing_. She merely wanted to find 'hook up' with different guys. Lily, Beth and Mikayla became friendlier towards her since then.

It would've been a nice end to the week, except that Scorpius was having some unwanted assumptions again. It was Friday night and they were scheduled to patrol. They were walking quietly across the third floor corridor when Scorpius suddenly stopped and gave her a hard stare.

"Er, Scorpius?" Lily said. "Stop staring. You're creeping me out."

"Do I have something to worry about?" Scorpius asked her.

Lily frowned. "About what?"

Scorpius sighed loudly. "About that Aidan. Do I have to worry about you and him?"

Lily's eyes widened. "What the hell! There's no 'me and him'. You're talking rubbish again, Scorpius!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "It's obvious he likes you."

"You're imagining things."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, Scorpius, you are. Stop those silly accusations. You just see what you fear of seeing, when in fact, it'll never happen."

"Won't it?" Scorpius challenged. "How can I know it won't really happen?"

Lily glared at him. "There's this thing called _trust_, you know."

"Why do I feel uneasy, then?"

"Ask yourself. It's not me who feels that way," Lily snapped. "C'mon, let's just continue this bloody patrol so I could sleep."

Lily walked ahead of him, feeling suddenly hot-tempered. Scorpius shouldn't have been making assumptions again. Why'd he be jealous? There was absolutely nothing to be jealous about! Lily never got jealous on the girls around Scorpius. Except, maybe when she thought Scorpius would be married to Claudine…

She sighed and waited for him until he stopped beside her.

"I don't want us to talk about this again," she said. "And please, give me some credit. I wouldn't leave you just like that because someone suddenly appeared in front of me."

Scorpius sighed. "I know. I just feel really uncomfortable. I don't like to see you with him."

Lily shrugged. "Then I'll stay away from him then," she said. "Does that make you feel better?"

Scorpius nodded. "Bit," he said. "You're still in the same House, though."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You know what? Just shut it. You sound like a whining kid."

"Oh, do I?" Scorpius said. "Well, you're like my mum, then. No matter how much I whine, you gave me what I wanted, anyways."

Lily snorted. "I don't look like a mum."

"I don't look like a kid, either."

They grinned at each other. "What are we, then?" Lily asked.

"We? Well, we're like shoes," Scorpius said.

Lily eyebrows shut upward. "Huh?" she asked in confusion.

Scorpius smiled. "We're useless without the other, like a pair of shoes," he said.

Lily smiled at him. "You're so cute when you're being cheesy," she said as she gave his cheek a small, affectionate kiss.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you liked it! There's more on the next chapter, I guess. It's still not written yet, but I've already got some thoughts on what to write about it. And about Nicole, I hope none of you is disappointed about her character. I couldn't always make new characters as angels. And Aidan was, well, you might've guessed his role already. He's gonna be more important in soon-to-come chapters so stay tuned. :D<em>

_Thanks for reading! **Please review!**_


	12. Hello and Goodbye

_Hey guys! I'd like to thank everyone who will read this chapter because…well, I haven't updated for more than a month. I'm almost convinced only a handful of people will read this so, __thank you guys!_

_And a special thanks to _**_Bookluvr1230_**_ and _**_Fall Equinox_**_ for sending me messages that helped me update faster. I was really touched so thanks guys. I never received PMs urging me to update soon because I've always updated pretty fast before. I have been busy during the last couple of weeks so I hope for your kind…er, _consideration_?_

**_Anyway, __read on__!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 –Hello and Goodbye<strong>

It was Sunday. A very long, _long_, LONG Sunday for Lily. And well, let's just say that she really couldn't figure out what to think of a certain someone...and another one.

She woke up early in the morning. Too early perhaps that she didn't think someone would be a bother to her already. How wrong she was, though.

"G'morning, sweetie!" Nicole said brightly at the foot of the stairs in front of her, surprising her so much she nearly fell off her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Er, yeah I'm fine," she said, sidestepping Nicole, wanting only to get away from her at the moment. For her, Nicole was a riddle. One moment, Lily thought she'd known the answer to her but in just a snap, she would go back to being clueless about her. It was really a headache, trying to understand her.

"Where are you going?" Nicole asked, easily catching up with her.

"Bathroom," Lily bluffed, thinking that Nicole wouldn't come with her in there. And well, she got her wrong once again.

"I'll come with you," Nicole said brightly. "I think I need to pee."

_There was really no need to mention that_, Lily thought but instead, said, "Fine."

Lily headed to the seventh floor bathroom with her, feeling a bit uneasy. Nicole kept talking on and on but Lily could only catch up with words like 'boring' and 'fun' to what she was saying. She wasn't really paying her attention. It wasn't as if she wanted to.

"Oh," Lily said suddenly, suddenly having a thought. "I forgot, the seventh bathroom's usually haunted. I think we should just not go in there."

"Really?" Nicole said, looking convinced. "Well, I think I could just hold it off for a while...you know...the 'pee-thing'."

Lily tried not to look annoyed or disgusted. "Er, right. How 'bout we just go for breakfast?" she suggested, feeling that she could at least try to socialize with other early birds there.

"That'd be great! I especially love those bacon they serve in the morning. We don't usually do bacon back in America because they say it's dangerous for the health. Like anyone could resist something that tasty."

Lily didn't respond but led her instead. It was tiring to think of a response to her talks. And it was unusual to think of a response in the first place because it should come natural. It wasn't a test that she should think about so..._ thoroughly_.

After what seemed like a lifetime of Nicole talking and Lily not listening, they arrived at the Great Hall. As expected, there were only a handful of people in there. It was too early for the majority of students to arrive. Still, Lily wasn't out of luck.

"Hey, Lils!" Scorpius called as they entered. Lily beamed radiantly and made a beeline towards him, pretending to forget that Nicole was with her.

"Nice save," Lily said as she sat beside him. "I was thinking of ways to escape from her and _bam!_ There you are."

Scorpius gave her a look. "I thought there's gonna be a 'trying to be more understanding' thing you're gonna do," he said, grinning nonetheless.

Lily shrugged. "It's not that easy with her," she said, turning around to look at where Nicole was. She saw her at the Hufflepuff table, surrounded by forth year boys. "See. She's not exactly the type of person I hang around with, let alone a friend."

"Well, boys are ogling at her," Scorpius mused. "Don't you know that's the exact same look some boys gave you?"

Lily frowned. "Huh?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. He held both of Lily's hands in his and looked straight into her eyes. "Honestly, Lily. Do you think that when I saw you crying because of Adam when we first did rounds together, I helped you merely because I was genuinely kind?" he said. "Of course I was attracted by you, silly. And besides, you crying made you look more ferocious yet still beautiful all the same. You don't have to be as daring as that Nicole to attract men towards you. You have pure charisma. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your boyfriend."

For a moment, Lily couldn't say anything. Then, she smiled. "Really?"

"Of course."

"I don't think of myself that way."

Scorpius chuckled lightly. "That's because you're so pure and naive," he teased.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Let's just pretend you didn't say that."

"I won't," Scorpius said teasingly. "Anyway, what I said is true. Boys also ogle at you."

Lily sighed. "So did you ogle at me even before we knew each other?" she asked.

"Yep," Scorpius said, releasing her hands and wrapping an arm around her. "I'm gonna tell you a secret but don't tell anyone about it," he said in a mysterious, mischievous way.

Lily stifled a giggle and said, "Okay."

"You have to really, _really _promise me," he insisted.

"I promise, then. I swear I won't tell anyone."

"Good." Scorpius sighed. "I have a secret crush on you since my fifth year...your third."

Lily turned sharply at him. "What?"

"I won't repeat what I've said..."

"I heard it but...what the hell?"

"What d'you mean, 'what the hell'?"

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Was it that important?" he retorted. "Anyway, you were such a fiery kid back then and I couldn't just approach you. And you're a Potter so it meant that you were off limits."

Lily gave him a look. "If I'm off limits, then why are you here right now, wrapping your arm in places 'prohibited'?"

Scorpius chuckled and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Because you're so cute, that's why. And I found some loopholes in that rule...Bacon?"

"Thanks."

The two of them ate and finished breakfast even before the Great Hall was half-full.

"D'you have practice this morning?" Lily asked him as they finished.

"Nope," Scorpius said. "It's damn cold outside. I don't want to freeze my team's butts." He gave her a look. "Wanna do something this morning?"

Lily shrugged. "Sure," she answered. "I don't have anything in mind, though..."

Scorpius thought for a moment and said, "How 'bout we play snowball fight?"

Lily wrinkled her nose. "I don't think so. I'm going to get some colds."

"How 'bout we...er...actually, I've got no idea what to do now."

"Oh! I have an idea!" Lily said and stood up. Scorpius followed, grabbing Lily's hand.

"Lead the way, then," he said. They started walking, however, they were stopped by a certain someone.

"Hello," Nicole said, smiling dazzlingly at both of them. Lily felt her blood boil. This couldn't be happening. "I see why you ditched me," she told Lily and turned her eyes to Scorpius. "If I've got such a lovely boyfriend, I'd ditch my friend, too."

_Friend? What the fudge!_ Lily thought, agitated. She was feeling suddenly furious by her look of interest in Scorpius. And they weren't friends, in the first place.

"Not to be rude," Scorpius said to Nicole, "but we're kind of in an errand, you see. Could you just let us pass? You could talk to Lily, later."

"Could I talk to _you,_ now, then?" Nicole said flirtatiously, seemingly unconcerned that his girlfriend is just right in front of her.

Scorpius sighed. "I don't really know you," Scorpius said in a forced polite voice. "And this may be the right time to tell you that I don't entertain other girls except for my girlfriend. It's obvious you know Lily and I are together so it's kind of wrong of you to flirt with me, especially in front of her. You should learn some manners."

Lily was stunned by him. Without another word, Scorpius led Lily past an embarrassed-looking Nicole out of the Great Hall. He led her inside an empty classroom and sat her on a chair. "Are you alright?" he asked her. "You're already feeling hot-tempered, aren't you? I would've been if I were on your shoes."

Lily nodded, calming herself. After a minute or so, she finally said, "Thank you."

Scorpius gave her a look. "For what?"

"For saying that...that you aren't interested in her or any other girl other than me. I could tell you weren't just saying that because I was around."

Scorpius squeezed her hand. "Of course. You're in my first serious relationship, aren't you?" He smiled. "So whereabouts are you taking me before that snag interrupted?"

Lily grinned at him. "I'm taking you somewhere I'm sure that snag wouldn't interrupt. Come on."

"So this is where you're taking me, huh?" Scorpius uttered the moment they arrived. It was the Quidditch pitch. "You wanna fly on this weather?"

"Not here, silly," Lily said and pointed at a tree in a distance. "There."

Scorpius blinked, not knowing what to say. Lily was pointing at-

"The Whomping Willow?" he said. "Honestly, Lils, it gave me chills the last time we went there."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Probably because you couldn't kiss your secret crush, yet, when Adam wasn't around," she teased.

"Shut up," he said. "I already regret telling you about it."

Lily laughed and dragged him towards the sort of enchantedly haunted tree.

"It's spooky in here," Scorpius said, gripping Lily's hand tight as they walked inside the trail. Lily would've laughed if he didn't sound so scared.

She mustered the most caring tone she could and said, "Don't worry. It's just a tree."

"Was that supposed to comfort me?" he asked. Anyway, what are we supposed to do here."

Lily clucked her tongue and said, "Shut up and be patient. I'm trying to think here."

"Alright, alright," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm shutting now."

"Good."

They walked for another couple of minutes and finally, they reached the end of the cave, up to a staircase leading to the room.

"Finally," Lily said. "Come on."

Lily walked up first, her right hand feeling numb from Scorpius' grip. "Honestly, sometimes I couldn't tell if you really, truly are a man."

"I am," he said. "I just didn't like this kind of places."

After another minute, they arrived. Lily did a simple cleaning charm on the couch and the two of them sat on it.

"Why, though?" Lily asked him suddenly.

Scorpius gave her a confused look and said, "Why what?"

"Why are you scared of this kind of places?"

"Nothing," he said, though Lily could tell there was something more.

"Come on, Scorpius," she pushed. "Tell me about it. I promise, I won't laugh or tease."

"Oh Merlin," Scorpius said, looking around. He was actually shaking so Lily wrapped both of her arms around him, feeling suddenly guilty of bringing him here. His skin also felt cold.

"Scor…"

"You know," he said in a hollow voice, "I grew up in a similar place to this."

Lily frowned. "How come? I thought you lived in a manor."

"Yep," he said. "It's like a sort of prison to me. I was never allowed to go out. My parents were always out for work, though, so I was always alone. I never got to meet any kids around my age because they didn't bring me to parties or gatherings. Before Hogwarts, I've always lived in a…an enormous dungeon."

"They must've had a reason why they did that," Lily said rationally.

Scorpius shrugged. "I could still remember how badly I felt whenever I wake up and when I came down the stairs, all I hear is the popping sounds of their Apparition."

"Don't worry," Lily said, rubbing his back soothingly. "Nothing's gonna happen now that I'm here. I won't leave you, you know. That's one of the scariest things that could happen to me."

"You're not just saying that?"

Lily nodded. "Nope. I think I…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling as if she were on a trance.

"Lily?" Scorpius said, pulling away from her embrace to look at her. He waved a hand in front of her dazed-looking face. "You think you're what?" he asked, frowning at her.

Lily blinked and met his eyes. "I-I…I…"

"Lils? Are you alright?" Scorpius asked concernedly. Ironically, a minute ago, it was her comforting him. Now, it was the other way around.

"I'm alright," Lily replied in a quiet voice. She took a deep breath and said, "It's just that…it's really weird for me to say this but…I've never felt like…and I've never said this anyone but…this is crazy!"

"What is?"

"I think I love you," she said, biting her lip. She closed her eyes tight and said even more, "No. I don't just think that. I _do_ love you."

She didn't dare open her eyes, scared of his reaction, or that he might walk away. If she did, she would've seen the new spark in his eyes, the flush of his face, and the radiance of his smile.

She felt scared of opening her eyes. All sorts of thoughts of how he'd react came flooding in to her head. A minute passed and it felt like eternity to her. She already felt like crying.

However, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and saw his shaggy hair beside her face.

"Don't worry," Scorpius whispered in her ear. "I'm not mad. You seem to think like I was. It's all written on your face."

"You're not?"

Scorpius shook his head. "I'm not, silly."

Lily pulled away and faced him. "But I freaked you out, didn't I?"

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah…sort of. No one has ever told me that before."

"I've never said that to anyone before," she murmured. "Have you?"

Smiling slightly, he said, "Of course."

Lily suddenly felt her heart bursting, however, he suddenly chuckled. "Don't be jealous. I only said that to my mum. I've never felt closed to being in love with a woman before."

That was even harder to bear. It already crossed her mind. Scorpius wasn't the type of man to do serious relationships. It was a miracle they've lasted for almost three months.

"But then," he suddenly continued, "that was _before_. I couldn't say it's still the same, _now_, though."

"What d'you mean?" Lily asked, barely able to breathe.

"I didn't think Lily Potter was that slow," he teased. "To put in words—I sort of love you, too." He shuddered. "Oh, that was nasty…I mean, _odd_," he suddenly said after seeing the look on Lily's face. "You know what I mean. I've never confessed to a girl before. And I'm sort of forced to confess because you did it first…Ugh, I'm losing my title as the Hogwarts Casanova from now on."

Lily's lips curved up in a smile. "Don't worry. There's still one girl out there who'll chase you even if you don't have any titles."

"I could just kiss that girl right now," he said and leaned down, kissing her passionately. It seemed like the cold of the winter ice has melted between those two.

* * *

><p>After a couple of hours, the two of them went back to the castle. It was so cold they were grasping each other tightly as they walked back.<p>

"I really hate this cold," Lily said.

"I'm sort of used to it," Scorpius said. "It's colder in the dungeons. Imagine living there for seven consecutive years."

"Oh."

A thought suddenly came in to Lily's mind. Seven years. It was Scorpius' last year at Hogwarts. Next fall, she would come to Hogwarts without him. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts at the back of her mind. She would just think of it when the time comes.

Finally, they reached the castle. Lily decided to go back to the common room to warm herself up while Scorpius was going back to the dungeons.

As she entered the common room, a person greeted her.

"Hi," Aidan said. "Where've you been?"

Lily gave him a look.

"Um, sorry," he said. "That wasn't my place to say."

Lily shrugged and made a beeline towards the armchair near the fireplace. Aidan followed her and sat beside her.

"So I heard from Nicole that you left her alone this morning," he said.

Lily rolled her eyes. "It wasn't as if she couldn't find herself a couple of guys to talk to." _Or flirt with_, she added as an afterthought. She was still annoyed that Nicole showed interest towards Scorpius.

"Doesn't erase the fact that you still left her," he insisted.

Lily turned around sharply to face him. "Three words. I. Don't. Care!" she snapped. "Even she would've left me if she was with her boyfriend. Do I need to tag her along with _my_ boyfriend? We don't even remotely know each other. Bloody, oh! What's with the two of you annoying me today?"

Aidan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you annoyed? I was just asking you—"

"You weren't _just _asking. You were _dramatically_ insisting that I left your sister behind."

"What the hell!" he exclaimed. "I was just trying to make a conversation."

Lily glared at him. "Sorry but I'm not in the mood to talk with either you or your twin today. I've just had a good two hours and either you or she would pop and ruin it."

"I apolo—"

"Don't bother," Lily snapped.

"Hey, I really am sorry," he said, in a softer voice. "Look, I just always stick up for my sister even if she's sort of…you know..."

Lily nodded in understanding. They sat there for a couple of minutes in silence. Lily thought about how wonderful her morning with Scorpius at the Shrieking Shack was. It was one of the best moments she had with Scorpius. Even through the cold, they stayed warm beside each other. It was as if that one time bound their relationship even more.

"You seem deep in thought," Aidan commented, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Er, sort of," Lily said.

"Thinking about that boyfriend of yours?"

She nodded.

"How long have you been together?" he asked, almost nosily.

Lily decided to answer, though. "Almost three months."

"This morning, I heard someone saying the two of you only did that as an act…"

Lily rolled her eyes. It was true that they did that before but…wait. How come someone knows that? Only a handful of people knew that.

"Says who?" Lily said in a cool, reserved voice she usually used when lying.

"Says that girl named Beth," he said. "She was talking to Nicole earlier and I overheard them."

_What the heck_? Lily thought. Beth? How could she have told that to Nicole? Was she betraying her the second time around?

Lily decided to play it cool in front of Aidan, though. "You must've misunderstood it. Why would it be merely an act?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, why would it be?" he said, though his voice sounded skeptical.

Lily thought for a moment. Did Beth really tell Nicole about that? She couldn't help feel a sense of déjà vu. Last time Lily trusted her, Beth stole her boyfriend. Who knew? Maybe those two became instant best friends the moment they had that…er, bitch-bonding. You know those things only two bitches could talk about?

Lily suddenly felt sickened of herself. It was wrong to downright accuse her. On the other hand, she was also sickened by the probability of that thought. If Beth had betrayed her once, it was possible that she'd do it again.

"What're you thinking just now?" Aidan asked, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"Nothing," Lily quickly answered. "Just some…_stuff_."

"You look pretty even when you're face is blank," he said absentmindedly. Lily felt as if the temperature increased by ten degrees. He did not just say that. If Nicole had tried flirting with Scorpius, was it possible that Aidan was doing the same with her? Was this some kind of a joke?

"Pardon?"

Aidan shrugged. "You're pretty," he said casually. "Honestly, you're even prettier than my sister."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she said. "Why are you telling me this?"

Aidan sighed. "If you didn't have a boyfriend, I would've gone after you the first time I saw you."

Lily's jaw dropped. "You did not just say that," she blurted out and stood up. "I'm going out."

"Whoa, chill!" Aidan said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was just complimenting you. No need to freak out or whatever."

Lily rolled her eyes. "If you're trying to seduce me into liking you, it's never gonna work."

Aidan grinned mischievously at her. "I don't think so. Even if you've got pretty boy, you're not sure the two of you are together forever. And I'll have my chances because he'll be gone next year."

Lily glared at her. "You know what? My first impression of you was the complete opposite of what I'm seeing now. I would've loved to stick to that first impression of yours, however, you're cocky lines are now stuck on my head. I think I wanna vomit."

With that, Lily made her way outside the common room. She walked furiously from corridor to corridor, staircase to staircase, not caring where she went. She just wanted to keep a safe distance from Aidan.

Just then, she turned around a corner and her eyes widened. There, standing near the walls, were Scorpius and Nicole. And from the looks of their tousled hairs, unbuttoned shirts and the kiss mark on Scorpius' neck, they had been snogging.

Suddenly, tears blurred her vision. She wanted to run yet her feet wouldn't move. She wanted to scream out loud yet she couldn't find her voice. She wanted to stop the tears from running yet they seemed not to want to.

A sob escaped from her throat. Nicole and Scorpius turned to look at who it was. Both had surprised looks on their faces when they saw her.

Scorpius took a step towards her, a pleading look on his face.

"Lily, this isn't what it—"

"Don't even bother," Lily cut off and before he could say anything else, run as fast as she could towards the opposite direction. She kept running and only stopped when she bumped on something.

Or rather, _someone_.

"Lily?" Aidan said. "I've been looking for—what happened?" he asked, seeing the look on her face. "I was just going to apologize, I didn't mean to say those things. I didn't know you were that sensitive. I should've been more tactful and—"

But the rest of his sentence was cut off when Lily kissed him, putting all her anger and frustration and broken-heartedness towards the kiss. He kissed her back passionately, not caring whatever the reason she did that.

Right on cue, Scorpius arrived just on time to see the two of them, kissing so intensely he looked so horrified and angry.

Lily pulled away and said to Aidan, "I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have done that."

"Yeah, you shouldn't," Scorpius said in a cold voice.

Lily turned to look at him, a broken look on her face. "I could kiss whoever I like," she said.

"Lily, let me—"

"Well, I think that's explanation enough," Lily said, pointing at the hickey.

Scorpius eyes widened and he tried to cover it. "No, please, Lily. Let me explain."

"I don't have time for this," she snapped, though her heart was already shattering to a million pieces. "C'mon, Aidan. Let's go."

Scorpius took a step towards her and said in a low voice, "But I love you."

For a moment, Lily stopped. But then, this time, her mind overcame her heart.

"Save your breath," she said. "We're done."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Cliffhanger…sort of.<em>**

_Don't hate me. Not every _chapter_ has a happy ending (but every one of my stories sure does)._

_Sorry for the errors._

_Please be patient._

_That's all I'm gonna say for now. Keep reading if I ever had time to update again. I swear to the heavens I'm gonna do my best in updating from now on._

**_Thanks for _****still_ reading. PLEASE REVIEW!_**

-aj-


	13. Second Chance

_Thanks to **Sabrina Weasley-Potter, lovajsa, aesthetical mind, Fall Equinox, sincerelyerinn, ShortLittlePixie, bellibella, jane, acciohope15, speedsONEandONLY, booklvr1230, Zheeba89 **and my first and newest Beta, **hazie-boo-girl**, for reviewing the last chapter. :)_

_R&R!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13—Second Chance<strong>

"Lily!" Scorpius called her from behind. "LILY!"

But Lily didn't look back. She wouldn't let him catch up with her. She couldn't let anyone see her. Not in the state she was in.

She felt numb, not because of the cold, but because of holding back all the pain she was in. She didn't want to feel it. All she wanted right now was to disappear and never come back again. Maybe it would be better to have her soul sucked out by a dementor, just so she wouldn't feel anything anymore.

It seemed like an eternity ago, Lily told him those three words. Those three words rarely spoken, yet when she did, it felt magical. And he said them back. Hours ago, she felt as if she and Scorpius had taken another step forwards in their relationship. As if Scorpius had truly been in love with her. It was as if not only her soul was exposed, but so was his.

Lily felt entirely stupid, though. She felt pathetic. _Naïve. _She shouldn't have told him that. He could use it against her. He could use it to make her feel lower than she already felt.

That was it. She couldn't hold it back anymore.

Opening the first empty classroom she could see, she burst inside and slammed the door shut, crying her eyes out. She didn't like crying. She didn't like feeling weak. Yet, a part of her felt better doing this. It's better than trying to hold them back and let her emotions explode all at once.

Lily thought about the times she spent with Scorpius, how he would steal kisses before going to his classes, how he would always want to spend his free time with her, how she could be herself around him. It seemed surreal that once upon a time, they seemed so in love with each other. She had no idea how this had happened.

Unless.

Maybe it wasn't what it really seemed like. Maybe it was just Nicole's way of sabotaging her relationship. She wiped the tears from her face and closed her eyes. She tried to remember Scorpius' face just before she ran away. It was painful, and yet, it felt like a safe place where he could see him even when it was all over.

As if watching through a Pensieve, she could almost see him, standing in front of her, looking desperate, begging her to listen. But she didn't. She ran away, even when he called her to come back. She didn't give him a chance. She felt like a snake had egged her on breaking up with him. And yet, she also knew she couldn't look at Scorpius the same way. Not when, at the back of her mind, she saw flashes of him and Nicole's glued faces.

Lily shuddered. Just then, she heard loud footsteps outside. She stifled back the sobs that came into her mouth and crawled further from the room, sitting behind a large cabinet to obscure her from view if someone enters. She didn't want to be found in this state.

Just then, she heard a loud, hoarse scream of agony and seconds later, it sounded as if someone punched the door—right in the room she was in.

"DAMN IT!" she heard that someone again, clearer this time.

Lily blinked, unable to move. Of course she knew that voice. She could recognize that anywhere. She could recognize that even in a million miles.

As if temporarily shut down, her heart suddenly restarted. She could feel it fluttering against her chest faster and faster as she could hear the broken sobs of the man that meant everything to her, outside. She listened in silence for what seemed like forever.

She felt her heart die again once he heard his footsteps, thinking he'd go away. But then, she realized that he didn't.

The door to the room she was in opened and he came in. She couldn't see his face, yet she felt a warm feeling inside her that only his presence could bring. She could hear his silent cries as she let her own tears flow silently across her cheeks.

Lily had felt really, really hurt by what she saw earlier. But then, because of that hurt she didn't give Scorpius a chance to speak. Scorpius, she realized, had always been there for her. The last time she was crying like this, Scorpius, a total stranger back then, offered to help her out. Even though she found out he had a 'secret crush' on her, he felt like a real friend back then ever since. He didn't use Lily. He was true to her. He always was. It took a lot of truths for him to gain his trust. Should she let this one simple mistake a reason to banish him from her life?

Lily shuddered. Carefully, she moved to take a peek at him.

The moment she saw him, she already knew the answer.

"You know," she said in a thick yet clear voice, "you look damn like baby when crying. It doesn't suite you."

He looked up and saw her. His eyes were a bit red and puffy. Lily never thought she would ever see someone so weak and vulnerable. She never thought Scorpius was even capable of crying.

"L-Lily—"

"I'm still undecided," Lily interrupted, knowing he would apologize.

For once, he looked so readable, like an open book. It was like a mask was removed from his face and all emotions he never showed before were smoldering clear as the morning sun.

Lily looked away from him. It was hard, looking at him like that. He looked lost and in need. He didn't speak, yet Lily could see out of the corner of her eyes that he wouldn't take his eyes off her.

"Lily," he said again. "Look at me."

Lily fought the urge to look at him.

"Please," he begged.

Slowly, Lily looked at him. His eyes were on fire and Lily couldn't help but melt into them.

"I didn't do it," he said and Lily knew he was talking about what she had seen earlier. "I didn't do it, I swear. I would never do that to you."

Lily nodded.

"I know you couldn't forgive me," he said in a voice barely more than a whisper. "But…what I said this morning…it's true. I love you, no matter how silly it sounds to everyone, Lils."

A lone tear dropped from her eye. Then she nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" Scorpius asked quietly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "If you don't come here in three seconds, I'm leaving this room," she said. In a flash, Scorpius was there, sitting beside her, his eyes never leaving her. "You know I hate you, right?" she said harshly.

He nodded, biting his lip.

Lily looked down at her hands. "But that was a bit harsh of me back there," she said, "I should've given you a chance to explain."

Scorpius shook his head. "You weren't on your right mind, then. Of course you'd react that way."

"Still…why kiss her?"

"She did it first," he answered, shuddering.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Lily asked, closing her eyes.

He sighed and said, "He did something on me. I don't know what it is but…I felt like I couldn't move away."

"So that's when she put the hickey, eh?"

"I guess…"

Lily sighed. "I'm sorry, too, you know," she said quietly. "For suddenly kissing Aidan after…well, after seeing you with that hag. I didn't know why I did, I just…I wasn't in my right mind."

She felt Scorpius' hand on top of hers. "I could understand why you did that," he said. "I'm sorry. I almost messed it up. I _really_ messed it up yet you gave me another…_chance_. You're too good for me but I don't want to lose you like that again. Even for a minute."

Lily, nodded, opened her eyes again and looked at him. "I wanna stop getting all emotional," she said, "so let's just…" she trailed off and caught his lips on hers.

He pulled away and asked, "Are we together again?"

"Merlin, you're so slow," Lily replied as she kissed him again, knowing she'd regret that day her whole life if she didn't take him back again.

* * *

><p>"I'm getting bored," Beth said, sighing as the train continued speeding ahead. We'd been waiting for hours to arrive at King's Cross Station, thinking longingly of our warm homes. Lucky Mikayla was able to sleep at this cold.<p>

Lily didn't respond. After regaining her friendship for a couple of weeks, she was having doubts about her again. Only a day had passed since she heard from Aidan that Beth had sort of told Nicole about them, when once upon a time, Lily and Scorpius have been an act. It could have easily been the cause why Nicole had kissed Scorpius. If Lily ever found out Beth had told her, she would never forgive her again.

Lily stared outside the window for a while, letting her thoughts drift to Scorpius. It was amazing how their relationship survived after that 'incident'. It was like the feeling of two cute, little cats winning against a pack of lions. It was like winning over the impossible, like her dad won over Voldemort.

Lily sighed and stared outside. It was still snowing, and she couldn't sleep. It was so cold and she found it hard to produce a bluebell fire. It must've been her emotions that tampered with her magic. She didn't mind it, though. She knew it could happen because she was still a mess today; at least not on the physical.

It was too hard to sleep since yesterday. Last night, she revisited that room in her dreams—the one where she hid and Scorpius accidentally hid, too. The dream was vivid and she could see it right now before her eyes. The desperate look on Scorpius' face—she knew it will haunt her for days. She never thought he was capable of agonizing. Ironically, ever since Lily stepped on the grounds of Hogwarts, she always thought Slytherins looked like the meanest, yet toughest of all. It crossed her mind that they were never capable of crying—especially the males.

How wrong she was, though. And yet, at the back of her mind, Lily knew that she was the reason Scorpius had been like that. She had changed him. And he had changed her, as well. She let him loosen up. He gave her the power of trust. How she had fallen back into friendship with Beth because of him. How she could never get mad at him. How, somehow, she tried to trust those two Evans twins even though their—well, Nicole's first impression on her was really, _really_ bad. Not that Lily minded Aidan that much, but his sister's character affected him as well.

Now that she thought about it, Lily felt a bit sorry for Aidan. For kissing him, that is. Not that Aidan mind, but Lily felt as if he genuinely liked her. In a way that was more than just friends. Lily just knew when someone liked her, and Aidan said as much when he told her he would've gone for her if she didn't have Scorpius. Lily felt as if she used him or something. She didn't like feeling as if she was toying with someone else's feelings. She felt it safer to reject someone on the spot than to keep his hopes up.

Lily sighed.

"You know," Beth said suddenly, snapping her from her thoughts. "I can feel you're not so friendly with me right now. What's wrong? You've kept shutting me out since last night."

Again, Lily sighed. "Nothing; just stuff I've _heard_," she said casually, giving Beth a particular look at the last word. Beth raised an eyebrow.

"What stuff?" Beth asked.

"Listen," Lily said and her voice wasn't casual anymore. Instead, it was colder than the temperature right now, though it was the kind of cold that could make you sweat from nerves. And by the looks of it, that was what Beth was feeling at the moment. "I don't want to beat around the bush. Since you asked me, did you tell the hag about me and Scorpius being just a fake couple back then before we became a real one? Did you go around being all best friends with that woman?"

Beth frowned, looking confused. It took Lily just one look to know that she wasn't faking it. "I didn't tell her anything," Beth said. "I pretty much didn't talk to her at all. But…wait, I remember talking to Mikayla a bit about it the other—oh, bloody hell, I think she was near as when we were talking and…Damn, I'm so sorry, Lils!" Beth looked as if she were close to tears. How did it feel when you knew your best friend didn't trust you anymore the way she did? Beth must've been suffering, too.

Lily smiled in relief. "Don't bother. That woman would've found a way to get that piece of information, anyway." At least she knew she could trust Beth this time.

Beth smiled back at her. "I know you still don't trust me entirely but thanks, Lily."

Lily nodded in understanding. It was a waste of time to deny it. And she learned the hard way that it was better to be honest than always lie through her teeth.

Just then, the compartment door opened. At first, Lily expected it to be Scorpius. He promised her he'd come by her compartment after some stuff he was doing with the other Slytherins, but then it wasn't him.

"Hey, Al," Lily said, smiling at her brother. "If you're looking for Mikayla, the entrance is in her dreams."

Albus rolled her eyes and took the seat beside her. "I'm not here for her," he said, his face serious. "I heard about it."

The look on his face said it all. He heard about what happened yesterday… Bloody hell!

"Don't bother teaching me a lesson, Al," Lily said. "I'm not going to listen."

Albus sighed. "I just wanted to see if you're okay," he said softly. "I know you and Malfoy are back together and I won't stand between the two of you unless I have to." He paused, looking for her reaction. Lily nodded so he continued. "I know you, Lils. You wouldn't have given him another chance if you know it wasn't worth it. And I know he genuinely likes you."

"But?" Lily asked, sensing his hesitation.

Albus sighed. "But please, don't put all your heart on him. He's going to leave Hogwarts soon. You could never guarantee if you'll ever see him again. Just leave something for yourself."

As Albus said this, Lily couldn't get the picture out of her head—of Scorpius graduating, leaving her. Finally, she said, "I know, Al. But I'm stronger than you give me credit for." She wrinkled her nose. "And I don't exactly like being lectured about my love life with my brother, to be honest. Save that for my friends. And besides," Lily added, smiling a bit, "if I would've asked a brother a love advice, I would've gone for James."

Lily gave him a wink, and laughed. Albus rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah... Whatever. At least you'll see your favorite brother soon enough."

With that, Lily just laughed harder. "Don't be such a baby, Al. Think about how you and Mikayla got together? Isn't that such a…er, unlikely story for someone who'd give out love advices?"

Albus sighed, tired of his sister's teasing. "See you later," he said tersely and marched out stiffly out of their compartment.

Lily still had a hint of a laugh on her face when the compartment door opened again and Scorpius came in. He was wearing the thinnest sweater Lily had seen that day. It was the color of gray that brought out his eyes. Lily thought he looked cute, but still.

"You might get sick, you know," Lily said.

Just as Scorpius took the seat beside her, Beth stood up, gave her a wink and mouthed the same words Albus said the last time.

"What d'you mean by that?" Scorpius asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulder, keeping her warm.

Lily gave him a look. "Look at what you're wearing," she said, pointing at his sweater.

Scorpius frowned, still puzzled by her ironic behavior. "What's wrong with this?" he asked, holding it slightly up. "Does it not suit me?"

The puzzled look on his face had Lily all in a slight daze. There was a small crease between his eyes that she rarely saw, for Scorpius often knew everything she said about.

"It does," Lily murmured in a quiet, faraway voice. She shook her head, putting her wits back together. "But aren't you cold? You should've put at least three more layers."

Scorpius laughed lightly and said, "I'm not…cold. I've grown up in a house colder than this, remember?"

Lily sighed. "Still…you look so…so…" She scrambled for the right word and finally, said, "Fragile."

"What?" Scorpius asked, surprised.

"You seem fragile," she repeated, concern flooding her face. "At least in this weather. You look paler than ever."

To Lily's surprise, Scorpius didn't argue but just smiled warmly at her. "Really? You know I really love that you're concerned at my well-being."

Lily pouted. "How couldn't I? You seem more worked up today." Subconsciously, as if on a stance, Lily touched the dark circles under her eyes. "You didn't sleep well last night, did you?" she said in a voice barely more than a whisper.

He shook his head. Lily nodded in understanding. "Try to get some sleep now before we arrive," she said, pulling his head down to her shoulder. Scorpius lowered his arm to her waste and, again, did as she asked without arguing.

Lily sighed in contentment as she wrapped both of her hands on his one free hand and closed her eyes. If she had felt really cold during the first few hours of the trip, with Scorpius here, it might've fled already.

* * *

><p>It was the day before Christmas Eve. Lily felt anxious about this day. It wasn't because of the cold. Her parents kept their house warm with the fireplaces burning all around.<p>

What Lily felt anxious about was the 'thing' that was going to happen today. She wasn't really looking forward to it but still felt compelled to do it sooner rather than later.

"Lily," Ginny called, knocking on her door. "Are you ready?"

"Just a minute, mum," Lily called back, trying to calm herself from nerves. She was not usually a nervous person, but still, it was the only thing that kept her from screaming all swear words swirling around her head right now.

After a minute or so, she stumbled and tripped her way downstairs. "Whoa. Slow down, Lils," James said, steadying her. "You're not even wearing heels. Why the need to trip?"

"I'm nervous," Lily admitted. She could always tell James anything.

James laughed. "That's a first. Usually, it's the people who got nervous because of you," he teased.

Lily couldn't help grinning at her brother. He never failed to lighten her mood if he wanted to. "Shut up, James," she said, still grinning.

"You've softened up," he said. "I could see my little Tiger-Lily has turned into a kitten."

That made her laugh. "You know what?" Lily said. "I'm off."

James laughed and waved her away. "Good luck with that."

Lily headed to the kitchen where her parents were waiting.

"Looking nervous, Lils?" her dad chuckled. "Is this for real?"

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "Let's just go, okay?" she said in an irritable voice, her temper returning.

Her mum and dad laughed and said in sync, "Now that's more like it."

With that, Lily first stepped into the fire, took a pinch of Floo powder and said in a loud, clear voice, "Malfoy Manor!"

* * *

><p><em>Cliffhanger.<em>

_Thanks for reading! And a big thanks to my first ever Beta reader, **Laurie (hazie-boo-girl)**, for helping me out! :D_

**_PLEASE REVIEW! (: _**

_And don't miss the next chapter because...well, you might've guessed where this is heading... _


	14. Meeting the Malfoys

_Thanks**—Sabrina Weasley-Potter, acciohope15, sincerelyerinn, Fall Equinox, jadeesunshine, SnowflakeBeautiful, Annabella Prinx, speedsONEandONLY, **and** sunflower1—** for reviewing the last chapter. I love you guys :)_

**_Read on!_**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14—Meeting the Malfoys<strong>

Spin. Spin. Spin.

Lily was spinning from fireplace to fireplace, feeling sick. She could see vague glimpses of houses, pubs, streets, and everywhere. For what seemed like forever, the spinning stopped.

_Is this even a fireplace?_ she thought as she stepped out of an intricately carved, enormous marble hearth on the edge of a cavernous room filled with luxurious chairs and tables and paintings and chandeliers and everything that seemed to be painted green and silver.

But what really caught Lily's attention was the silvery white grand piano in the midst of the room. She didn't even notice someone was behind her until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was Scorpius. She was shock by the sudden proximity of their faces and jumped back a little.

Scorpius chuckled. "Nervous?" he teased.

Lily scowled at him. "You startled me," she said. "Anyway—oh."

She was looking behind him, her face surprised. "What?" Scorpius asked, puzzled.

"I didn't notice but my parents are here already," she said.

Scorpius grinned. "Well, your eyes were too engrossed on the piano," he said. He held his hand out for her and said, "Shall we?"

Lily smiled and nodded. He took his hand and for the first time, noticed what he was wearing—pale blue long-sleeves and jeans. He looked ridiculously cute it made her smile and threw all her fears away.

"What?" Scorpius asked when he noticed her looking.

Lily shook her head. "Nothing."

Scorpius flashed his typical smirk and said, "Doesn't look like nothing to me. Do I look gorgeous or what?"

Lily giggled. "Not gorgeous," she said, biting her lip. "I was thinking more along the word _cute_."

"That's insulting, Lils," he said, feigning outrage.

Lily grinned at him. "Shut up. Anyway, this house is huge. Well, not huge. _Enormous_, more like."

Scorpius shrugged.

They were quiet for a moment as he continued to lead them to the room where the 'meeting' was going to take place. Lily had already expected everything in here to be grandeur, and it was. What she didn't expect was that the manor looked inviting…nice. She expected it to be a bit creepy, too, but it wasn't. Maybe a bit intimidating but that was just because of the size of it.

Lily thought it was surreal, living in such a big place. It would've been tiring to walk this long every day.

"How long does it take for you to get water when you're thirsty?" she suddenly asked Scorpius.

He chuckled and said, "Well, we have one house-elf here."

Lily frowned. "Really?"

"We used to have a lot of them," he continued. "But my parents…well, they forced them to be free. Minnie was the most stubborn, though, and finally, we let her stay. She's a good company. We could let her do her way when it was about housekeeping. She's excellent."

Just then, Scorpius stopped in front of a large, intricately-carved mahogany door and opened it.

Standing on the other side of the door were three people, all blonds. All of them had smiles on their faces, though the man, whom Lily knew to be Draco Malfoy, looked a bit pained.

_At least he's still trying to be nice_, Lily thought as Scorpius pulled her inside. Her parents followed suit.

A young-looking, breathtaking blonde stepped gracefully forward, a genuine smile on her lovely face. This could only be Scorpius' mother.

"You look lovely, Lily," she said, taking her free hand in both of hers, looking delighted. "I'm Astoria Malfoy. You don't know how pleased I am to meet you right now."

It was hard not to feel at ease with her. "Thanks," Lily mumbled, smiling timidly. "It's nice to finally meet you, too, Mrs. Mal—"

But before I could finish, she held up one of her hands and said, "Call me Astoria. I feel too old when addressed like that."

Lily smiled easily at her and said, "Astoria, it is, then."

She freed Lily's hand and said, "You know you're the first girl Scorpius ever brought here." She smiled radiantly at her.

Lily frowned. "Really?" She turned to give Scorpius a look. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Scorpius smiled amusedly and said, "I keep forgetting how things were in the past when I'm around you."

Lily heard her father catch a breath behind. He was clearly surprised by his cheeky lines. She didn't mind, though. She'd be as honest with everyone as she could. She knew none of them might understand clearly how she and Scorpius felt for each other. She wanted them—her parents and Scorpius'—to know this wasn't just some fluffy teenage romance.

Astoria asked them to sit around an exquisite mahogany table.

"It's been so long," Scorpius' father said when we were all settled, "since we've last seen each other, Potter."

There was no animosity in his voice as he said it. Lily was surprised. It wasn't a secret that her dad and Draco Malfoy were the best of enemies during their time. She never thought it would fade. She would certainly never forgive Claudine Selwyn and Nicole Evans for being the bane of her existence.

"You wouldn't want to see me often, now, would you?" her dad said, chuckling.

"Same old, same old," Draco agreed, a smirk on his face. "No one could force us to like each other."

"Come now, Draco," the older of the blondes said. It could only be Scorpius' grandmother, Narcissa. Lily wondered where her husband was. "Didn't I teach you manners? This man saved your life."

Simultaneously, Draco and Harry rolled their eyes.

"Don't mention it, Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said, embarrassed. "It's been a long time."

"Yeah, don't mention it, Mother," Draco drawled, irate in his voice. "Now why don't we get down to business?"

His eyes turned to his son, and then, to Lily. Lily met his gaze with polite indifference, not intimidated. She expected it.

What she didn't expect was that his expression suddenly turned into smile.

"Scorpius has a great taste," he said, smirking a similar smirk to Scorpius'. "I thought he was lying when he said you were beautiful, but that was far off the description."

Lily blushed, a shy smile on her face. "Not really," she said modestly.

"You look almost exactly like Weaslette when she was your age," he said, his eyes turning to my mother with humor on his face.

"It's Potter now, for you," Ginny snapped, not bothering with formality.

"With that temper of yours, Potter must be having a hard time," Draco said, nodding towards Harry's direction.

Scorpius made a sound that sounded like he was stifling a snicker. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Scorpius?" his mother said in confusion.

Scorpius flashed Lily a grin and she blushed slightly, knowing what he would say.

"I would've said the same with Lily," he said, his eyes still on me. "She has a _very_ lovely temper."

Everyone in the room laughed except Lily, who was now glaring at Scorpius. The look on her eyes clearly said that she would've kicked him hard if their families weren't there. She wouldn't admit it but she wanted to make a good impression on Scorpius' family, and humoring them (in a very un-womanly way) never crossed her mind until then.

"At least," she said, smiling devilishly at Scorpius that he suddenly looked nervous, "I don't get beaten by a girl in Quidditch."

Scorpius flushed pink and said, "At least I'm not sneaking around the castle when I was twelve."

Lily smirked slightly. "At least I'm not afraid of the Shrieking Shack," she said.

That was when she noticed everyone was staring at them with incredulous eyes.

"You've been to the Shrieking Shack?" Narcissa Malfoy asked her grandson, her tone disapproving, yet Lily could swear she heard a twinge of something like fear in there. She wondered why.

"Er, about that," Scorpius said, "we were just wandering around, Gran. Nothing dangerous."

Narcissa shook her head and Astoria cluck her tongue, saying, "The _tree_ itself is dangerous and…."

"Have you showed him that place, Lily?" Ginny asked disapprovingly.

Lily bit her lip and nodded. "Well, I thought it was good place to hide?" she bluffed, not knowing what to say. "And you've been there when you were kids," she added.

"You know what happened there in the past, right?" Ginny said, shaking her head.

Both Lily and Scorpius sighed. "Sorry," they said simultaneously, their heads bowed to hide their faces.

Their fathers, however, have seen something beyond their childish explanations. As the three women ranted on them, they noticed something between those two. Just one look at them and you'll see that they fit together. They weren't as goofy and sweet like most teenager couples do. And they didn't try to please each other in every way, as well. Instead, they bantered and teased each other, like what siblings or best friends would do. It was only the look in their eyes that says they loved each other.

"Ahem," someone cleared her throat behind and said in a tiny voice, "Minnie has you food, sir."

The lecturing instantly stopped, to Lily and Scorpius' relief.

"Thanks, Minnie," Draco said, smiling at a blue-eyed house elf behind. With a snap of her fingers, various dishes appeared on the table. "I guess that's enough scolding for now," Draco added to the three women and everyone all but chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Where are you taking me?" Lily asked as Scorpius led to Merlin knows where around the manor. After they finished eating, her parents took their leave for work. Scorpius' parents and Narcissa, on the other hand, went to visit Astoria's sister, Daphne.<p>

So, the two of them had the place to themselves. And Scorpius had taken her to every place in the manor already, except one—_his _room. She couldn't help getting more and more excited. This house wasn't as grim as she expected it to be. It wasn't even grim at all. It had all sorts of nice places to be: a humongous library, a really beautiful garden, a small lake for swimming, a not-so-small field for playing Quidditch, a large kitchen with only one house-elf, a cavernous room for parties and gatherings hosted by the Malfoys, a music room filled with all instrument possible, a broom shed with all sorts of brooms from the early Comets, to the latest Firebolts, and loads of comfy, huge rooms. She couldn't believe what her father said when she was seven that the Malfoy Manor was a scary place to be.

"The house used to look a bit…_scary_," Scorpius said, echoing her thoughts. "That was why I didn't like the Shrieking Shack. It felt like I was back to that old, gloomy house. And well, it reminded me of some things…"

"What things?" Lily asked.

Scorpius sighed. "Like my cousin's father lived a hell there," he said. "You're close to Teddy Lupin, right?"

Lily was taken by surprised. She didn't expect Scorpius to know he was even related to Teddy. For all Lily cared until now, Teddy was her eldest brother. "Yeah, I do. He's close to our family—the Weasleys included. He's grown up to us since…well, you know what happened to his parents, right?"

Scorpius nodded. "I heard he's not living now with Andromeda."

"He's living in a flat in London with his girlfriend," Lily told him.

"Oh, right." Scorpius chuckled. "The blonde Weasley, right? What was her name? Victoire, wasn't it?"

"Yep."

Just then, Scorpius stopped in front of a large, wooden door. It was flanked with large vases on both sides filled with—

"Lilies?" Lily said questioningly, her hazel eyes trained upon the flowers in the vase.

Scorpius flashed his lopsided smile and said, "My mum loves lilies. I bet she also loves the _lily_ I loved the most."

His eyes were on hers as he said it. Lily couldn't help but smile. Even if she was never a cheesy, mushy person in relationships, her heart always fluttered a thousand miles whenever Scorpius said something sweet or romantic to her.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world," Lily said.

Scorpius chuckled and opened the door in front of them. Lily gasped.

"Whoa."

"Ladies first," Scorpius said in amusement and gave Lily a gentle push inside. The room was breathtaking. The walls were completely made of glass except the wall where the door was. That wall, instead, was painted with a landscape so similar to the outside you would've thought it belonged there.

A fluffy, white bed sat on one corner of the room, overlooking through below. On another corner was a study table and chair. There were picture frames on top of the desk and Lily walked towards it to see who they were.

There were only three photographs in there. In the right was a picture of the Malfoys. It included Scorpius, his parents and his grandparents. They looked really formal in this picture. Even Scorpius, who looked about seven in this picture, already seemed so well-behaved and mannered. The one Lily didn't meet—Lucius—looked coldly back at her in the picture.

"Where's your grandfather?" Lily asked him.

"Dead," Scorpius answered, his voice suddenly impassive.

"Oh," Lily mumbled, turning to look at him. "I'm sorry."

Scorpius smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't be. He's better off this world."

Lily sighed and nodded, still feeling uneasy. She turned and looked back at the other photos. In the middle was a picture of Scorpius with his parents. Lily smiled. It wasn't formal like the other picture. Scorpius looked a bit older there, about fourteen or fifteen, and he was laughing with his parents, his mom and dad's arms wrapped around him. Even Draco Malfoy looked less intimidating here.

The last picture, Lily noticed with another flutter in her heart, was a picture of her and Scorpius. She noted, with surprise, that it was a picture of them sleeping in that train compartment on their ride to King's Cross Station days ago. They looked sound asleep and so…_together_. The only movement was their slow, even breathing.

"Where did you get this picture?"

"Rosewood gave it to me," he said. "She sent it by owl. Probably thought it'd be a good display here."

Lily sighed. "It's easier to call her _Beth_, you know," she said. "Anyway, she could've given me that picture. It's cute."

Scorpius wrapped his arms around her waist behind her and whispered, "It's beautiful." He lowered his face and began trailing kisses from her neck, to her exposed collar bone, to her jaw and cheeks and back again. Lily closed her eyes. It felt wonderful. She felt her heart racing, her blood pounding against her chest. She felt warm, protected—like nothing could harm her with Scorpius here. She felt safe, her heart secure. She felt in love.

He stopped. Lily frowned, and turned around to tell on him but before she could get the words out, Scorpius caught her lips on his, caressing it softly.

"Wanna see my bed?" Scorpius whispered, looking her playfully in the eyes and winking at her.

Lily smirked at him. "Not a chance, you perv."

Scorpius chuckled and released her. "I'm not going to do anything to you, anyway," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the direction of her bed. "I was just going to offer you to sit here and admire the view."

Scorpius pulled her down the bed beside him. Indeed, the view was really something to admire, now that she took a closer look. It almost felt like she was perched on a tall tree. She could see tiny different colors below, down where the garden was. She was sure those colors were of the hundreds of flowers Scorpius' mother planted and kept alive and beautiful in years. She could see their medium-sized field for Quidditch in the distance, and not so far from it, their very own lake. Now that she could look at everything at once, she just knew their manor was more than an acre in size.

"Your house is huge," Lily muttered in awe.

Scorpius chuckled. "You couldn't imagine how tiring it could be."

Lily shrugged. "I've never been to a house like this. I don't think the word 'house' sums this up, to be honest. _Manor_, eh?"

"Though I bet your house is more…_convenient_," he said. Lily couldn't help but agree. It was true. She liked the house because it's…_magical_ or something, but she didn't think she could live in such a place.

She was just about to voice her thoughts to Scorpius when a sudden, loud, popping noise startled them.

"Is that…someone Apparating?" Lily asked Scorpius, tightening her grip in his hand.

"I think so," he said. Seeing the anxious look on her face, he gave her a reassuring smile and added, "Don't worry. There are only a handful of people who are allowed to Apparate and Disapparate inside our house."

"Hello!" they heard a loud, male's voice call. "Is anybody home?"

Scorpius chuckled. "Come on," he said and led Lily towards where that person Apparated. She had an idea who it was. She was right.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here, Lily," Hayden said, grinning widely, giving her a wink. "So did you and ickle Scorpius done now, eh?"

He gave them a suggestive look. Lily burst into a fit of giggles.

"What?" Hayden said, feigning shock. "Am I funny?"

Lily shook her head and grinned at him. "You look stupid," she said.

Scorpius nodded in agreement, grinning as well. "Definitely stupid."

"If you're thinking we did something we know you're thinking," Lily said, "then sorry to disappoint you but all we did was gaze at the beautiful scene outside."

Hayden scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, I didn't understand that first sentence quite much," he said, making Lily laugh again. "But well, now I know that Scorpius isn't a bloke after all. I say, look at _her_! If I've gotten hold of such a gorgeous, _beautifully_-tempered, and artfully shaped woman, I would've given everything to her."

Lily laughed at his description of her. "You know what? Just shut up."

Hayden grinned and turned to Scorpius. "So, how did it go? Did they like Lily? Did they approve of her? Did they disinherit you or what?" Lily knew that they were talking about how did Lily meeting the Malfoys went.

"I think my mum likes her a lot," Scorpius said. "And my dad…well, he was fine with her. Or you could say that he _approved_ of her."

"Really?" Hayden said in surprise.

Just then, another pop sounded through the house and a woman with long, dark hair, chocolate-brown eyes and noticeable, pouty lips appeared near them. Lily vaguely recognized her as Courtney Zabini, Hayden's older sister.

"You're still here?" she said, eyeing Scorpius. Her tone wasn't harsh, really. It was more like an older sister scolding her brother.

"_Sorry_, Courtney," Scorpius said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Basically, this is my house so I could just go out if I already wanted to."

"And you're bloody well asking us to look after the damn house, you idiot," Courtney retaliated.

"No, I didn't. I only asked _Hayden_, not you."

"You know pretty well that he'll ruin the house if I didn't come."

"I don't think so, thank you very much."

"Just say it," she snapped. "You're just too caught up with your girlfriend that you're still here when you were supposed to be gone half an hour ago."

"So what? Don't tell me you're jealous," Scorpius said, giving her a look.

Courtney glared at him. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" she said before stamping her way upstairs.

Lily swore she saw her glaring at her direction before disappearing out of sight. She looked up to see Scorpius frowning as his eyes followed Courtney. _Was she jealous_? Scorpius noticed this and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "We're usually like that. She's like a sort of sister to me."

"Hate to break it to you, mate," Hayden said suddenly, "but Courtney still struggles to think of you that way."

Lily winced. So it was true. Courtney was jealous. _What on earth is going on?_ Lily thought.

"What was that all about?" Lily found herself saying. She looked from Scorpius, to Hayden, and saw them exchanging looks with each other. Hayden gave Scorpius a look that clearly said, '_You tell her mate'._ Scorpius looked nervous.

"I think I'll just go find my sister," Hayden said, nudging Scorpius as he passed him.

Scorpius sighed and turned back to Lily. "Don't get me wrong, Lils," he said slowly, "but I never thought of telling you about it. Courtney and I…we had a thing back then."

Lily's eyebrows puckered. "So you were boyfriend and girlfriend?"

He shook his head. "No. That was the problem. Please don't get your temper on high or anything but—back then, I fancied her, she fancied me, and we began fooling around…you know…doing things not normal friends do." He sighed in frustration. "And then, before she knew it, I was already dating Therese. She got so upset and didn't speak to me for the rest of the year until summer. And I guess the reason why she spoke to me again was that Therese and I were through that time."

"She still likes you," Lily said, sighing. "You did like her, too, didn't you?"

Scorpius nodded. "I just didn't like it back then, that feeling," he admitted. "I felt tied up to her, to be honest. And I didn't take chances on falling in love with someone before. Except you, of course."

He smiled at her but Lily couldn't help feeling as if she had stolen a candy from a little girl. "If you didn't left her, d'you think you two would still be together until now?" she asked, biting her lip.

Scorpius shrugged. "I don't know. Or care," he said.

"You do care," Lily insisted. "You still had a past with her. And she's like a sister to you, isn't she? So don't say you don't care about her, 'cause you do. You just won't admit it to me."

"Listen to me, Lils," Scorpius said, taking her face in both of his hands and forcing her to look up to him. "That happened ages ago. I admit, I do care about her, but not as much as I care about you. Keep that in mind."

"I know that already, I just…" She swallowed hard. "I don't think I could sleep knowing someone you care about hates me."

Scorpius shook his head. "She doesn't hate you," he said, though he didn't sound convincing even to his own ears.

"Yes, she does. She _dislikes_ me, at the very least. Because you're with me."

"Maybe you're right," he sighed. "But you're not going to give me to her, are you?"

"Of course not. I just wanted things cleared up. I don't want to mess up your relationship with close friends or anyone."

Scorpius smiled lopsidedly at her. "You're too good for me," he said and kissed her lightly on the lips. Caught up in the moment, Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

After what seemed like eternity, Scorpius pulled away and said, "We're going somewhere."

"Where?" Lily asked, her head still spinning from the kiss.

"Your house, of course," he said, and before she knew it, he took her hand and Disapparated.

* * *

><p><em>So, that's it! Okay, you already have a clue on what next chapter will be about. (:<em>

**_Thanks for reading! Please review!_**


	15. The Potters and Weasleys

_Thanks—**Sabrina Weasley-Potter, BookLuvr1230, acciohope15, diyame, Fall Equinox, kana117, Jane, Zheeba89, aleera, speedsONEandONLY,, HarryPotterGeneration, ShortySC22, evelyn-shaye **and **girlwhogossips**—for reviewing the last chapter. :)_

_Sorry for the long wait…_

_Read on! (:_

* * *

><p><em>After what seemed like eternity, Scorpius pulled away and said, "We're going somewhere."<em>

_"Where?" Lily asked, her head still spinning from the kiss._

_"Your house, of course," he said, and before she knew it, he took her hand and Disapparated._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen—The Potters and Weasleys<strong>

If Lily hated the feeling of traveling by Floo powder, this was nothing compared to it. It was like the spinning was five times as great, making her feel as if an invisible hand was squeezing her stomach from the inside. _Let it stop, let it stop,_ she kept thinking furiously. She would really give Scorpius a good, hard kick for this.

Finally, the spinning stopped. As soon as it did, Lily's knees buckled and she fell with her bum on the ground, feeling nauseated. She took deep breaths, willing herself not to vomit. After about a minute or two, she stood up from the ground and glared at Scorpius.

"You should've warned me you're gonna do that!" she said furiously, kicking Scorpius' shin hard.

"Ow!" Scorpius face suddenly distorted as he began howling in pain. He began jumping up and down the ground on one feet, the other held up by his hands, until finally, he fell on the ground.

Lily bit her lip, feeling guilty. She forgot how painful it was to be kicked on the shin, and she kicked pretty him hard, mind you.

"Having a lover's quarrel already?" someone behind said and Lily turned around to see Teddy. His hair today was a dark shade of blue, almost black, his eyes grey.

"How long have you been there?" Lily asked.

Teddy grinned and said, "Oh, I've pretty much witnessed everything."

Lily, embarrassed, turned back to Scorpius and offered him her hand. He took it and let her pull him back to his feet. He dusted his clothes and looked at Lily. "You kick pretty hard for such a girl."

"Was it…painful?" she asked, concerned.

He smiled at her and said, "No worries. I deserved it, somehow, anyway." His eyes then turned towards Teddy. "Hello, cousin."

Teddy grinned and said, "The last time I've seen you, you were as tall as Lily."

Scorpius grinned back. "Well, the last time I've seen you, you were taller than me," he said, "though I could see, it's the other way around, now."

Teddy raised an eyebrow at him. "You know I could tower you easily if I wanted to, right?" he said as he steered us towards the door of number twelve.

"Yeah," Scorpius said, "you and your psychic abilities."

They entered the house and Lily couldn't help feeling uneasy. "Does mum and dad know you're gonna be here?" she asked Scorpius as they walked through the narrow passage leading to the hall.

Scorpius nodded. "I asked permission before they left. You were so engrossed in looking around that you didn't notice."

Lily sighed in relief. "Good to hear," she muttered. "But I'm warning you, Al isn't so fond of you right now."

He shrugged. "It's only a matter of time before he will," he replied absently, not nearly perturbed as she was.

Lily gave him a look. "Why did you want to come here, anyway?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest, seemingly annoyed.

He rolled his eyes at her and said with an edge on his voice, "Are you really that ashamed of me meeting your family?"

Lily's eyes softened as he said that. "Of course not," she said, taking his hand. "I'm just upset you didn't tell me you're coming here."

"So, tell me, Lily," Scorpius said. "What're the fascinating rooms in this house?"

"Upstairs," she replied just as they reached the end of the corridor. "Come on."

They were walking halfway through the staircase when James suddenly popped in front of them—literally—making them jump. Which meant he was too lazy to walk so he just Apparated.

"Blimey, James!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes wide, her heart racing. She was really, _really _startled by her brother's sudden appearance.

James grinned. "So you brought your boyfriend here, eh?" he said, his hazel eyes, so uncannily like Lily's eyes, on Scorpius. "Hello, mate," he said. "I guess this is actually the first time we're gonna meet…aside from school. I'm James—don't call me Jamie, _Jamsie_, Jimmy, or any other awful nickname. Oh, and don't call me Potter, either, 'cause there's a lot more Potter in this house as you know, eh, Scorpius?" He held out his hand for Scorpius to shake.

Scorpius grinned and took it. "Nice meeting you, James."

The three of them went upstairs to the drawing room where they saw Al and Teddy. Both of them smiled but Lily knew better. Albus was just trying to, for her sake.

Lily and Scorpius sat down on the settee while James went to join the other two on the couch.

"So, Lils," James said. "Why don't you take a stroll around the house while we interrogate Scorpius?"

Lily's eyes widened in alarm. She didn't want them to do that even if she was sure they wouldn't harm them. She just had a tad good idea about what they were up to, and it would be through loads of cunning questions, jokes, friendly-yet-sinister threats, or a combination of the three.

"You don't want us to force you, now, do you?" James said lightly, though from the look in his eyes, she knew that he was serious. And not just about forcing her to get out as they interrogate Scorpius. He was also serious about doing it, thinking it was necessary.

Lily sighed, knowing her eldest brother was too stubborn to argue with. So she nodded and said, "Fine. But I'm only giving you half an hour. Or to translate—_thirty minutes_."

And before she went out of the room, she gave Scorpius a lingering kiss for her brothers and Teddy to see. She just wanted to irk them a little. Bingo. When she turned around, Teddy looked mildly surprised and Albus was scowling at them. And well, as she expected, James was there, grinning broadly from ear to ear, saying, "Yeah, we know you're in love with him. No need to prove that, sis."

I rolled my eyes and waved them goodbye, having one last look before I closed the door.

* * *

><p>"What did they do to you?" Lily asked the moment Scorpius stepped out of the room, looking unscathed. She could see that he was nervous, though, by just looking at the crease between his eyebrows.<p>

He quickly smoothed it and said, "Just a couple of questions. You know. If I'm serious on you and if I would prefer a pure-blood over you and if I had an intention of hurting you, which I don't."

Lily couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. "Are you sure that's all? Because I swear, you look nervous when you came out of that room. Have they threatened you or warned you or anything? I'm sure I could give them a good talk about it."

But he just laughed and said, "Thanks, _Mum_. But I'm sure I can handle that."

Lily crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him. "Don't _mum_ me. You and I both know you're keeping vital information from me. Now tell me what is it or—"

"Or what?" he cut in, snaking his hand around her waist. "Honestly, Lils. You're being a paranoid."

Lily pulled away from him and said, "Are you going to tell me or what?"

He shook his head. "I gave them my word. Nothings gonna get out of that room. But I swear—no harm done."

Lily sighed and didn't pull away when he wrapped an arm around her waist again. She knew it was pointless, trying to dish it out of him. He gave his word to her brothers. And besides, it hardly seemed important now.

"Lover's quarrel over?" Teddy said as the three of them stepped out of the room. When they saw them huddled in the corner, he said, "Good. Let's get going then. C'mon."

When she noticed Scorpius following the three of them, pulling her along, she asked, "What on earth are we gonna do this time?"

Scorpius looked down at her and smiled a nervous smile. "The question is '_where'_, love," he said. "We're going to a place called The Burrow."

* * *

><p>"This place is…whoa," Scorpius said in awe as they stepped onto the lawns of The Burrow. He kept looking around everywhere—the tall grasses, the garage where Grandpa Arthur kept all his Muggle collections, the chicken coop, the gnomes peeking out of their holes, and of course, the <em>house<em>. The house itself would intrigue anyone's mind once they stepped in here. It was the most unusual house, even for wizards.

And Lily loved it.

"I know right," she said as she steered Scorpius inside where Albus, James and Teddy were already lounging, asking for food from Grandma Molly.

"Oh, good. There you are," she said, smiling as she spotted Lily and Scorpius. "Come, come. I've some cookies for you. D'you like cookies?" she asked Scorpius, smiling warmly at him. He nodded, smiling back. "I'm Molly Weasley, by the way—Lily's grandmother."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius replied. "I'm Scorpius Malfoy. I would shake your hand, but it's rather full," he added, gesturing to the platter of cookies on her one hand, her wand on the other.

"No worries, dear. Come, take a seat. Put your feet off the couch, Jamie."

James grimaced at the awful nickname and Lily and Albus couldn't help laughing. "Shut up, you two," he said, rolling his eyes. "At least my name's not as awful as ickle _Albus Severus_."

Albus flushed slightly and said, "I don't have an awful nickname though, right, Jamsie-poo!"

"That's enough," Mrs. Weasley said, putting a platter full of cookies and six mugs of steaming hot chocolate. "Stop acting like kids. Both of you are adults now. Couldn't you behave more like Scorpius, here?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Scorpius blush a tinge of pink at the compliment. It was true. He was behaving rather nice today, one of his hand holding the mug of hot chocolate to his lips, the other one holding Lily's hand.

"Yeah, well, _Scorpy_ is raised to be prim and perfect and well-behaved, isn't he?" James said, rolling his eyes.

Mrs. Weasley gave her grandson a look. "When will you ever mature?" she said, more to herself than to James. "Your father was…Harry was never like that. He was always thoughtful and never immature. How absurd, the way his two sons turned out."

"It's not like it's still the dark times, gran," Albus said. "You should be thankful cause we're having fun, not fighting off evil Death Eaters. Though, of course, I'd like to experience that…"

Mrs. Weasley sighed and turned to Scorpius. "I'm sorry about my grandsons. They like a little joke, especially James."

Scorpius smiled at her and said, "None taken."

"I must say, you resemble your grandfather," she said, almost absentmindedly.

Lily felt him squeeze her hand tighter and looked up at him in worry. Her grandfather always seemed like a touchy subject for him. "Looks could be deceiving, Mrs. Weasley," he said in a carefully controlled voice. Only Lily could hear something off in it. "Though, I must say I'd rather be compared to my father."

Before her grandmother could reply, Lily asked suddenly, "Where are Hugo and Rose?" before this conversation go to anywhere that will upset Scorpius.

"Oh, they went to Diagon Alley a while ago for some last-minute Christmas shopping," she answered. "They should be here soon. Oh, and the others are coming, too."

"Others?" Lily asked, eyes widening. No way. She knew whom her grandma meant by 'others'. The other Weasleys. Her loads of cousins. And, quite possibly, their parents, too. She was appalled at the idea of introducing Scorpius—a _Malfoy_—to her whole family tree…as her _boyfriend._ What would they think of that? Of her? Of _him_? "You mean all of them?"

It was Teddy who answered her question. "Yeah. They're coming around here in about half an hour. Or at least Victoire and her little minions are."

Lily bit her lip and turned to face Scorpius. "Did you know what's gonna happen?" she asked him.

He smiled at her and said. "Of course I do. I'm gonna meat a truckload of Weasleys."

"Did you plan all this?" she asked in disbelief. She just couldn't imagine that a Malfoy like him would gladly meet the whole Weasley clan. She just couldn't. Scorpius looked really out of place in this little happy world of Weasleys. He seemed to fit more in the world of Malfoys where everything seemed straight and perfect and…_still._

He kissed her temple and breathed, "Of course, I did. I told you I wanted to meet your family, and you, mine. And now that you've already met mine, I feel the need to meet this unusually large family of yours, as compared to my family of five, if you include my grandparents. I would've introduced you to my Aunt Daphne and my only cousin, but I'm afraid they're at the other end of the country."

"You have a cousin?" Lily asked, surprised.

He nodded. "Yep. He's a year older."

"What's his name?" she asked curiously.

"Devin," he answered, giving her a look. "It seems like you're interested in my cousin, eh?"

"Er, no," Lily said, shaking her head. "I was just stunned. I didn't know you had a cousin."

Scorpius laughed. Lily frowned, confused.

"You're forgetting something," Scorpius told her, grinning playfully. "See that bloke with bluish hair there?"

"Er, _Teddy_, right?" Lily said, still baffled.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Does he being my _cousin**—**_or second cousin—ring a bell?"

"Oh." Lily slapped her palm on her head, feeling stupid. She felt heat rise up her cheeks. How could she have forgotten easily? "Er, right…"

Scorpius laughed again at the expression of her face, drawing circles on the palm of her hand that he was holding. "You're cute when you're clueless," he said teasingly.

Lily was saved from responding by the noise from the Floo Network in the kitchen. Simultaneously, Rose, Hugo and her Aunt Hermione came out of the fireplace, dusting soot off their clothes and hair.

"Oh, good, you're all here," Hugo said, taking a seat beside Teddy, in good view of Lily and Scorpius. He focused his eyes on Scorpius and said to him, "I was wondering whether you'd back out or not. Seems not. Anyway, I'm Hugo Weasley."

"Nice meeting you," Scorpius said, offering a smile—which Hugo didn't return. Lily glared at him, and Hugo rolled his eyes at her, hopping off the seat and bolting upstairs to his bedroom. Rose took the seat he just vacated and gave Scorpius a smile.

"It's so absurd to see you in here," she said. "Anyway, this is my mum."

Hermione took a step towards him and smiled tentatively at him. "Hello, Scorpius," she said. "I must say it's unnerving to meet you. You look just like your father, see."

"I get that a lot of times," Scorpius said, standing up to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. After all, you're the cleverest of the Trio."

Hermione seemed flattered, much to Lily's satisfaction. Scorpius really knew how to charm people.

"Why, thank you, Scorpius," Hermione said, beaming. "I think I could of a hint of what Lily liked in you."

Lily smiled at her aunt and said, "Thanks, Auntie 'Mione."

"No worries," she said. "Now off you go, all of you, to the sitting room first while I'll help your grandma prepare dinner."

"Come on," Lily said to Scorpius and led her towards the small, cozy, sitting room and the two of them sat on the floor near the hearth while the others seated themselves on the couch and the rocking chair.

Scorpius looked around and said, "This is nice."

Lily looked at him, frowning. "D'you feel uncomfortable, sitting on the floor?" she asked.

He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "Of course not. Come here," he said gently, resting Lily against his chest, warming her with his embrace. Lily closed her eyes and sighed. Her annoyance at him for not telling her all about this had all but vanished. She felt grateful now that he did this. At least her whole family would get used to them. She didn't even mind letting them see her hugging Scorpius so intimately. She just loved the fact that Scorpius would want to cuddle her like this in clear view of her brothers and cousins. She felt reassured, and just when a fortnight ago, they almost broke up. Well, they did break up…for about a couple of hours. But still, it seemed stupid she doubted him even just for a while because of stupid Nicole.

"You could use my room upstairs, if you'd want some alone time," she heard Rose say behind her.

Lily turned her head around and asked, "Er, why are you offering?"

Rose shrugged. "You look like you could use some time alone."

Simultaneously, Lily's brothers and Teddy wrinkled their noses in disgust. Lily glared at them. "Okay, what the heck is wrong with your faces?"

"Frankly, we'd want to keep you on our sight before Malfoy could do anything to you," James said straightforwardly as usual. "But well, see, I don't really like seeing you and Malfoy being all cuddly on each other even when you aren't kissing. But what I don't like more is Rose offering a nice, cozy room with a comfy bed for the two of you to have an alone time." He shuddered and offered Lily and Scorpius a smile. "Sorry, can't help it. I love my sister, if you haven't noticed."

Lily smiled at her brother. She didn't like him being all protective on her, but on the other hand, she really, _really_ loved him, too. And besides, she'd miss him the whole time she was at school.

"We'll just stay here, then, and wait for the others," Scorpius said ahead of Lily. He looked down at her and asked in a soft voice, "Is that okay with you?"

Lily nodded. "That's what I was thinking of saying, too, you know." She sighed. "Are you okay with this?"

He smiled down at her and said, "Of course I am. Why do you think I'd say that if I'm not? And I'd rather be on the good side of your brothers, and even your cousins." He said the last part in a voice barely more than a whisper so only Lily could hear.

Lily smirked playfully at him. "I knew there had to be some hidden agenda behind those words," she said. "But wait till you see how many my cousins really are."

He frowned at her and asked, "Exactly, how many are you?"

His question was answered an hour later. The rest of the Weasleys arrived. Every one of Lily's cousins was present and she introduced each one of them to Scorpius.

"Come on," she said, steering Scorpius towards where her blond, Veela cousins were. "Hey, Vic," she said to the eldest of them.

"Oh, Lils," she said, eyeing her and her hand. "I see; this must be what your mum told us about." She turned to Scorpius. "You're Scorpius, right? I'm Victoire." She extended a hand and Scorpius shook it.

"Nice meeting you," Scorpius said, smiling amiably at her. Not in the way most guys looked at her stunning, Veela cousins, but rather just the normal way.

"Aren't you Teddy's second cousin or something like that?" Dominique asked him.

Scorpius nodded.

"I'm Dominique," she said, shaking his hand as well. When Scorpius wasn't looking, she gave Lily a wink and a thumbs-up.

And finally, "I'm Louis."

They moved to Molly and Lucy next. After meeting them, Scorpius asked, "Are they like, opposites of each other?"

Lily laughed. "Yeah, sort of," she answered. "Molly is more like their dad. And their dad was this super uptight, serious uncle of mine. Molly is sort of her girl version, whereas Lucy is just like every one of us—carefree and loves the fun."

"For two persons so unlike," Scorpius mused, "they seem to get along just fine." He smiled down at her. "Just like us—Gryffindor, Slytherin. Bad-tempered and—"

"Apathetic?" she interrupted, grinning at him.

He scowled at her. "I'm not apathetic," he said. "I'm just…well, yeah maybe a little."

Lily laughed. "Of course, you are. Now, I want you to meet my other favorite cousins."

"_Other_?"

"Well, technically, my favorite are Rose and Hugo, and maybe you could add Victoire, but next to them, I'm also close to—Hey Fred, Roxanne."

The two of them turned around, wide grins flashing on their faces. "At last! I thought you've forgotten us," Fred said dramatically. "And would you be my dearest cousin's dearest?" he added to Scorpius.

"If you put it that way…" Scorpius said awkwardly, not knowing what to make of her last cousins. "Er, maybe?"

Fred and Roxanne burst into laughter. "He was just kidding," Roxanne said. "By the way, I'm Roxanne and this is my idiot brother Fred."

"It's, er, nice to meet you," Scorpius said, extending a hand hesitantly. "I'm Scorpius Mal—"

But even before he could finish, Fred grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

"Stop it, Fred," Lily said, laughing. "He's normally like that," she added to Scorpius. After shaking Roxanne's hand, Scorpius practically dragged Lily away from them. He still wasn't sure what to make of such an enthusiast. James was always cheerful but Fred was way overboard. It was a bit overwhelming for such a person who grew up alone.

"So, I take it," Lily said. "You're not a fan of Fred, are you?"

Scorpius sighed. "He's sort of not the type I hang out with, to be honest. For a second, I thought he was mental."

Lily grinned. "Of course you'd think that. He's just sort of like that. Anyway, now that we're finished with the cousins, I think it's around time to meet the aunts and uncles."

Scorpius heaved a sigh, looking tired. "If only I knew just how many your family was, I would've just stuck with the Potter's side and not meet the Weasleys yet. I mean, there are really only five of you Potters, but your cousins… never mind."

"What made you come here in the first place?" she asked.

"That doesn't really matter now," he said, shrugging.

Lily scowled at him. "If you didn't really like coming here, then you shouldn't have."

"I wasn't really planning on coming here," he said calmly, avoiding a fight. "I was forced here by your brothers, okay? There, I've said it. They asked me to come here when we were at your house as they were 'interrogating' me."

"Oh," Lily mumbled. She bit her lip and said, "You could've said something a while ago. You should've just said no to them if you didn't want."

"Believe me, I wanted to meet them," he said. "I was just overwhelmed there's too many of them."

Lily sighed. "So, are you fine with meeting my aunts and uncles?" she asked.

"I'm here already. Better get on with it sooner than later. C'mon."

* * *

><p>"I swear I've never seen a family like this before!" Scorpius grumbled as she and Lily were left alone inside the house while the others were playing Quidditch in the cold, winter night. Scorpius just got off another 'interrogation', this time with all of Lily's aunts and uncles, taking him aside to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room upstairs. He looked really shaken after that. She had seen him lost his cool, stoic face sometimes, but those were the times when he laughed or cried. Never had she seen him look frightened.<p>

"Oh, I swear to Merlin, I'm going to kick my aunts and uncles' butts off if they've ever done anything to you," Lily swore.

Scorpius managed to give her a small smile. "I'm fine. Really. I'm just…not used to dealing with a really big family filled with overprotective members. You know what? I envy you. You could count on a lot of people while I—"

"You could count on me, you know," Lily interrupted, squeezing his hand. "But you know…something's been bothering me."

Scorpius looked at her in concern and asked, "What is?"

Lily lowered her gaze and said, "You know…in six months, you're going out of Hogwarts." She looked up at Scorpius and continued. "I'm a bit scared, you know. I mean, even if we continue this relationship, you might find someone else who's prettier and mature than I am. And if the same thing happens to me here, I don't know what'll happen to us. You're the first guy I've introduced to my parents, and you're also the first one who had the courage to meet my bunch of relatives on your own accord. And I feel like you mean more to me than I mean more to you and you could easily attract a bunch of women when I'm not around, just like that old hag, Nicole. I don't know what to do if that time comes and even if I want to stop thinking about it, when we're alone, it just pops suddenly in my head I couldn't—"

But Scorpius interrupted her with a kiss. He kissed her slowly, passionately, blowing all her worries away.

After a while, he pulled away and trailed a path of kisses down her neck. Lily closed her eyes, letting her heart rate slow down.

"Don't compare yourself to other girls, silly," Scorpius whispered in her ear. "I don't think I could like anyone like you anymore. This is the first time I've been in love with someone, and I'm not gonna let anyone ruin it. It's even worth it to be grilled by some hot-headed redheads, you know."

With that Lily laughed and said, "Don't flee from me even if those hot-headed redheads are my family."

"Well, they're gonna be my family, soon, aren't they?" Scorpius teased, nudging her slightly.

Lily beamed radiantly and said, "I'll look forward to that."

They both laughed, but inside their minds, they were thinking one thing—_their _future_. _Together.

* * *

><p><em>So, that's that. I'm running out of ideas (sighs). Anyway, most likely, there'd be only five more chapters left (if I didn't get any more ideas on what to put in this) so, hope you'll all stick with me until that. It was really exhausting, thinking of what to write on this chapter (and I could feel that you—yes <em>you!_—are quite disappointed in me) and I. Am. Depressed! *sighs_

_Anyway,_

**_Thanks for reading. ;)_**

**_Please review :)_**


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